Columbian singer Shakira was appointed to The Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics by President Obama on Oct 6 in Washington, DC.

During her acceptance speech, the 34-yr-old entertainer told the audience that she’s “flattered” to have been approached for the duties and accepts with “great honor.”

“This is a tremendous honor for me. I am humbled that my philanthropic experience could be helpful or that my voice can be used to amplify the message and work of the President and this Commission. As I have seen in my own Foundation work, the only road out of poverty is education. For a host of reasons, Latino young people in this country disproportionately drop out of school and far too few finish college. Closing this gap will not only determine the economic future and competitiveness of this nation, but can serve as a model for the world. I am grateful to have an opportunity to support such important work.”