The initiative used a three-prong approach—employment, education, and wellness—for organizing national efforts to provide additional tools to the US military community. The Reach Higher initiative encouraged all American students to aspire to education beyond high school, through training programs, community college, or university.
Skip to main content. In July , Michelle campaigned in support of former first lady, senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton , who became the official Democratic nominee for the American presidency and the first woman in the U. On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Michelle spoke in support of Clinton, who had previously run against Barack during the primaries, and her vision of a progressive America.
I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, and I watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent, Black young women, playing with their dogs on the White House lawn," she said.
Michelle continued to campaign for Clinton, speaking out forcefully against the campaign of Republican candidate Donald Trump , who went on to win the presidential election.
On January 13, , Michelle made her final speech as first lady at the White House, saying "being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life and I hope I've made you proud.
So don't be afraid. You hear me, young people? Don't be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourself with a good education. Then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise.
Lead by example with hope; never fear. During a conversation with poet Elizabeth Alexander at the Obama Foundation's inaugural youth leadership summit in Chicago, in November , the former first lady spoke about the problems with impulsively firing off thoughts on social media. You don't tweet every thought. Most of your first initial thoughts are not worthy of the light of day. Michelle also addressed the topic of protecting women from sexual harassment, a hot-button issue stemming from recent accusations made against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and others in position of power.
We ask them to speak their mind. We ask them to just say no, to speak out against sexual harassment," Michelle said. It takes practice to have a voice. You have to use it again, and again, and again before you can say 'no. As first lady of the United States, Michelle focused her attention on issues such as the support of military families, helping working women balance career and family and encouraging national service.
During the first year of the Obama presidency, Michelle and Barack volunteered at homeless shelters and soup kitchens in the Washington, D. Michelle also made appearances at public schools, stressing the importance of education and volunteer work. Ever conscious of her family's diet and health, Michelle supported the organic-food movement, instructing the White House kitchens to prepare organic food for guests and her family.
In March , Michelle worked with 23 fifth graders from a local school in Washington, D. She also put efforts to fight childhood obesity near the top of her agenda. Michelle remained committed throughout her time as first lady to her health-and-wellness causes. This AmeriCorps program, initiated during the administration of President Bill Clinton, helped young adults develop the skills and training needed for careers in public service.
Michelle joined the University of Chicago in as the associate dean of student services where she developed the school's first community service program. She became the executive director of community and external affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals in Her role as executive director ended in when she became vice president of community relations and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
When Barack Obama announced his decision to run for president in , Michelle decided to cut back her work hours to balance her husband's campaign with their family life. Although she campaigned for her husband, traveling across the country giving speeches to thousands of Americans, she limited her time away from home to two days a week.
Her mother helped with childcare while the Obamas were campaigning. Once Barack Obama won the election, the family began to prepare for the move to the White House. Both the Obamas talked about the trade-offs of being in the public eye while still trying to maintain some privacy.
They emphasized the need to keep life consistent and steady for their daughters. When Obama took office, Sasha was a second-grader at the school's Bethesda, Maryland, elementary school campus, and Malia was a fifth-grader at its middle school campus in Washington, DC.
Michelle's mother moved to the White House with the Obamas to help ease the transition. As First Lady, Michelle Obama was the subject of much focus and speculation. That experience honed his belief in the power of uniting ordinary people around a politics of purpose, in the hard work of citizenship, to bring about positive change. In law school, he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, then he returned to Illinois to teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago and begin a career in public service, winning seats in the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate.
On November 4, , Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States, winning more votes than any candidate in history. He took office at a moment of crisis unlike any America had seen in decades — a nation at war, a planet in peril, the American Dream itself threatened by the worst economic calamity since the Great Depression.
The Obama years were ones in which more people not only began to see themselves in the changing face of America, but to see America the way he always has — as the only place on Earth where so many of our stories could even be possible. Through her four main initiatives, she has become a role model for women and an advocate for healthy families, service members and their families, higher education, and international adolescent girls education.
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