The White House announced Thursday that President Barack Obama will be giving the commencement speech for Worcester Technical High School on June 11th.

Principal Sheila Harrity got word from the white house more than a week ago, but she was told to keep it quiet until she could tell all the students at a morning assembly.

“Their eyes became as big as saucers. Then from there, they started crying. Many of the students just started weeping. And then it turned into sheer excitement, with a lot of hugging, high-fiving, and fist pump,” Harrity says.

Worcester Technical High School used to be one of the lowest performing schools in the state, but Harrity says the academics have become much more rigorous. And she says the school partners with a number of local businesses to provide hands-on work experience — a goal mentioned in Obama’s state of the union address. The White House released a statement praising the school’s graduation rate, vocational programs, and efforts to ensure that all students succeed.