Born: January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinios.
Personal Success Definition
I define success as someone who is doing what they love and are happy with themselves. They also use there success to make the word better.
Michelle Obama is a successful attorney and Former First Lady of The United States. She was the very first African American First lady and was respected by millions. She used her time in office to shine a light on social justice issues and humanitarian issues.
Skills for Success
Michelle Obama is 1) a very smart woman, 2) highly skilled in law, and 3) an advocate for important humanity issues. Raised with an emphasis on education, Michelle learned to read at home by age four. She skipped the second grade. By the sixth grade, Michelle was taking classes in her school’s gifted program, where she learned French and completed accelerated courses in biology. As the first lady, Michelle focused her attention on social issues such as poverty, healthy living, and education. Her 2018 memoir, Becoming, discusses the experiences that shaped her, from her childhood in Chicago to her years living in the White House.
How They Used These Skills
Following in her older brother’s footsteps, Michelle attended Princeton University, graduating cum laude in 1985 with a B.A. in Sociology. She went on to study law at Harvard Law School, where she took part in demonstrations calling for the enrollment and hiring of more minority students and professors. She was awarded her J.D. in 1988.
After graduating from law school in 1988, Michelle worked as an associate in the Chicago branch of the firm Sidley Austin in the area of marketing and intellectual property. In 1991, she left corporate law to pursue a career in public service, working as an assistant to Mayor Richard Daley and then as the assistant commissioner of planning and development for the City of Chicago.
In 1996, Michelle joined the University of Chicago as associate dean of student services, developing the school’s first community-service program. Beginning in 2002, she worked for the University of Chicago Hospitals, as executive director of community relations and external affairs. In May 2005, Michelle was appointed vice president for community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she continued to work part-time until shortly before her husband’s inauguration as president. She also served as a board member for the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Challenges Overcome
From the usual sexism leveled at female public figures to the racism that crept into the public dialogue about the first family, Michelle Obama faced all kinds of prejudices and difficulties as she stepped into the role of the first lady. If anyone could handle the pressure, though, Michelle could. “When they go low, we go high,” she famously said during her Democratic National Convention speech endorsing Hillary Clinton. Yet, despite the many challenges she faced while the first lady, Michelle Obama served her time in the White House with elegance, patience, and style.
Significant Work
Michelle Obama has worked with a ton of organizations all around the world. In January of 2014, she started The Obama Foundation with her husband Former President of The United States Barack Obama. The Obama Foundation’s mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world.
