(CNN) First lady Melania Trump started a conversation on emotions at the White House on Monday afternoon, hosting 13 local middle school students in the Blue Room for an intimate listening session on the issues they face at school, at home and with their friends.

Joined by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who briefly introduced Trump before taking a seat at the back of the room, the first lady welcomed the students, who came from public, charter and home schools.

"I feel today very excited and thankful because you're here and we're opening up the conversation," she said, hinting again at her emerging but as yet formally undefined platform almost 15 months into her husband's administration.

"Thank you in advance for sharing your stories and your thoughts about your struggles and triumphs. I want to help children everywhere be their best, so with your help, we can achieve positive results," the first lady said before asking the children to go around and introduce themselves and tell her their favorite hobbies.

Standing in front of a smart screen with a special pen, Trump invited the middle schoolers to come up and write their feelings on the screen, which elicited responses from "nervous" to "happy" to "respected."

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