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After appearing in the 2001 film "Save The Last Dance," actress Kerry Washington needed some extra money, so she returned to high school to serve as a substitute teacher.

On Thursday she went back to school again, but for a completely different reason.

Washington, famous for her role in "Ray," was one of more than 20 famous visitors gathered last week by first lady Michelle Obama and sent to Washington-area schools—including three in Montgomery —to talk about career goals.

In celebration of Women's History Month, the first lady invited celebrities including Washington, "The Cosby Show" actress Phylicia Rashad, Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard and Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes to speak with students. Obama herself visited students at Anacostia High School in the District.

Students at the Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, who were already hearing from successful alumna on what was coincidentally their career day, were awe-struck by the visit from Rashad and Dawes. At Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School, students were treated to a talk by Washington and billionaire Obama fundraiser Penny Pritzker. And at Albert Einstein High School, Oscar nominated-actress Alfre Woodard and former ambassador to Hungary Nancy Brinker spoke.

"I think the main thing is it's important for young people to pursue their passion in life," Dawes, a 1994 graduate of Gaithersburg High School, told The Gazette. That may mean pursuing a natural talent that becomes apparent at an early age — like it did for Dawes when she first tried gymnastics as a child — or overcoming obstacles to reach a goal that may seem frightening at first.

In response to a question from a student, Dawes said there's not much she would change about her career — even the moments where she fell during competition. "As long as I learn a life lesson from them I'm grateful for those obstacles and challenges," Dawes said.

Rashad let students know that reaching a goal takes a lot of hard work — even for artists. Of her time studying theater as an undergraduate at Howard University, she said: "Within my first week I learned a very important lesson that would stay with me forever — there were many parties, many social functions, many things I would not be able to do."

At Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Washington, also known for her roles in "The Last King of Scotland" and "Fantastic Four," drew cheers from students inside and outside the classroom. "The only thing that gets in your way is you," Washington said. "It's really important to start to think about how strong you are and what your assets are."

Pritzker shared tales of growing up in Chicago at a time when women weren't known for their business acumen. "Part of being a woman is taking your passion and irrepressible will and doing something with it," said Pritzker, the chair of Classic Residence by Hyatt, a chain of luxury senior living communities. "…one of the most important things is to not quit."

At Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Woodard and Brinker spoke to students about challenges they had faced in their lives and how they had turned them into opportunities. Brinker discussed her motivation to start the breast cancer support group Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help women with breast cancer after her sister's death from the disease, while Woodard talked about obstacles she faced related to racism and sexism coming from her Oklahoma childhood and in the Hollywood marketplace.

"Sometimes to reach your goal, you have to do things a little differently," Brinker told the class of about 35 students.

"The people that you see celebrated are not the most talented," Woodard said, but rather the people who "refuse to go away."

And while the message was geared toward female students, the guys in the classes learned a lesson, too.

"I thought it was very inspirational, almost uplifting," said 16-year-old Bethesda- Chevy Chase sophomore Sam Taussig. "I've been trying to launch my own start-up company, and now it's become clear that what stands in my way is just me."