With South Carolina’s Democratic primary just more than a week away, the nation’s first lady paid a visit to West Columbia to speak at an education rally.

On Friday, Jan. 26, prior to her husband's Saturday arrival to attend a Democratic state party fundraiser and church event in Columbia, Jill Biden addressed a crowd at Brookland Baptist Church’s Teen Center. She was among a group of speakers who focused on educational issues and showed support for the president in the upcoming election.

South Carolina’s part in the primary process starts next week with the Democratic primary on Feb. 3.

“The call of service is in itself an act of hope,” the first lady said. ”Because this isn't just a job, it's a calling, and all of you were called to this profession for a reason.”

Jill added that educators never give up on the families that they serve, and that they continue to believe that a better world is possible.

Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, was also among the speakers. She touched on supporting candidates that believe that everyone and every student deserves to have the resources, access and opportunities they need to realize their wildest dreams.

“We all in this room gathered here know that public education is the foundation of an inclusive and thriving democracy and economy and society,” Pringle said. “In this moment, we have two responsibilities. Our first responsibility is to promote and to protect and to strengthen public education. And since it is the cornerstone of democracy, that's job number two – we have to save our democracy. And we do that by supporting candidates who believe that every student, every student, everyone must have the resources and access and opportunities, all that they need and all that they deserve to be fully human and to realize their wildest dreams, for that to be our reality. We know our public school educators and our students and our families must be valued and they must be supported.”

She said that’s exactly what the Biden administration has been about, telling the crowd that Biden-Harris made the largest federal investment in public education in the nation’s history, adding that they prioritized investments in mental health, work to keep guns out of school and expanded access to school meals.

According to Pringle, voters will have a stark choice in this consequential election year, between a president who does incredible things for people or a president who does incredibly horrible things.

“Donald Trump is focused on banning books, cutting funding for public education and eliminating the Department of Education and he is threatening the freedom for our students to learn and our teachers to teach,” She said. “Then, we have our president and our vice- president.

“Right here in South Carolina, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris are focused on lowering healthcare costs for hundreds of thousands of South Carolinians, carving a pathway towards real student debt relief,” she added.

During her speech, Jill thanked two speakers, Cassie Moore and Tyler Mitchell, who are both educators in South Carolina. The first lady told them and the crowd that because of them, somebody is working harder, is braver and is a better thinker.

Moore, a school librarian, touched on how the Biden-Harris administration’s actions on student loan relief helped her $167,000 loans be forgiven. She said that with this relief, she won’t have to work a second job this summer and will be able to partake in an NEA fellowship.

The first lady told the crowd that educators, specifically in South Carolina, helped elect her husband the first time. Adding that the president gets things done and is delivering results again and again, whether it’s safely reopening schools, addressing mental health and academic needs or focusing gun laws.

She stated that her husband needs their support again, telling the crowd that they are fighting for the future of this country.

“It's clear South Carolina, as Becky said, you're eight days away from the primary,” She said. “I know that we all have that teacher's voice that makes people stop and pay attention to what they're doing. Now is the time to use that voice.”