Michelle Obama
White House
Official White House picture of First Lady Michelle Obama in the White House.
When people ask Michelle Obama to describe herself, she doesn't hesitate.
First and foremost, she is Malia and Sasha's mom.
But before she was a mother or a wife, lawyer, or public servant she was
Fraser and Marian Robinson's daughter.
The Robinsons lived in a brick bungalow on the South Side of Chicago. Fraser
was a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department, and despite being
diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at a young age, he hardly ever missed a day of
work. Marian stayed home to raise Michelle and her brother, Craig, skillfully
managing a busy household filled with love, laughter, and important life
lessons.
A product of Chicago public schools, Michelle studied sociology and
African-American studies at Princeton University. After graduating from Harvard
Law School in 1988, she joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where
she later met the man who would become the love of her life.
After a few years, Michelle decided her true calling lay in encouraging
people to serve their communities and their neighbors. She served as assistant
commissioner of planning and development in Chicago's City Hall before becoming
the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an
AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service.
In 1996, Michelle joined the University of Chicago with a vision of bringing
campus and community together. As associate dean of student services, she
developed the university's first community service program, and under her
leadership as vice president of community and external affairs for the
University of Chicago Medical Center, volunteerism skyrocketed.
As First Lady, Michelle Obama looks forward to continuing her work on the
issues close to her heart supporting military families, helping working women
balance career and family, and encouraging national service.
Michelle and Barack Obama have two daughters: Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7. Like
their mother, the girls were born on the South Side of Chicago.
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