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Barack will attend Malia's high school graduation ceremony on Friday.
<br>Photo: Getty Images

Malia Obama graduates from high school – and dad Barack gets emotional


UPDATED FEBRUARY 8, 2019 4:06 AM EST

Malia Obama is allgrown up! On Friday, the 17-year-old graduated from her highschool, Washington, D.C.'s private Sidwell Friends School, with herproud parents, Barack and Michelle Obama, by her side.

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Although it was obviously an event filled with excitement, thePresident of the United States had admitted it would be an emotional time for him. Speaking on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon onThursday night, the 54-year-old said that he would be taking hissunglasses to the graduation ceremony to hide his tears.

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Earlier, the President said he knew Malia's high school graduation ceremony would be quite emotional Photo: Getty Images

“I've got mysunglasses ready, [it'll be] one more example of the presidentcrying,” he joked with the talk show host.

While on the show he also discussed how impressed he has been with his daughters and their behavior growing up in the White House and thelimelight.

Malia and Sasha Obama attend their first State Dinner

“They've handledit so well, they are just wonderful girls, they are smart and funny,but most importantly they are kind, they don't have an attitude," he said. "Thatwas the thing Michelle and I were most worried about when we gotthere, we thought how is this going to work we've got these butlersand you've got guys saluting, and it's a testimony to Michelle and mymother-in-law that they have turned out to be just incredible kids.”

The pair share a very close bond Photo: Getty Images

Although thePresident is getting emotional about his daughter leaving home and going off to college, he won't have to worry about that for another year, as it wasannounced in May that Malia would be taking a year off before headingto Harvard University in fall 2017.

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Before it was announcedwhich school Malia would attend, Barack gave his daughter some tipsabout picking her college. “One piece of advice that I've given heris not to stress too much about having to get into one particularcollege. There are a lot of good colleges and universities outthere... just because it's not some name-brand, famous, fancy schooldoesn't mean that you're not going to get a great education there.”