First Lady Michelle Obama

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is an American attorney and author who served as the First Lady of the United States from 2009 – 2017. She is the wife of President Barack Obama and the mother of Malia and Natasha (Sasha) Obama.

Mrs. Obama was born on January 17, 1964 to parents Fraser Robinson III and Marian Shields Robinson, who raised her in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. Mrs. Obama attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School before returning to Chicago to work at the corporate law firm Sidley Austin. There, she met summer associate Barack Obama, whom she would marry in 1992. Subsequently, she served as Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development in Chicago's City Hall and as Vice President of Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center.

During the Obama Administration, Mrs. Obama led several initiatives. Let’s Move! targeted childhood obesity by promoting physical activity and proper nutrition. She planted a vegetable garden on the grounds of the White House in 2009. Mrs. Obama published her first book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, in 2012.

In 2011, Mrs. Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden launched the Joining Forces initiative, which encouraged citizens and organizations to support US military servicemembers, veterans, and families.

The First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative aimed to inspire students to pursue education beyond high school through training programs, community college, or university. Expanding her educational goals to the international level, the Let Girls Learn program drew together resources from across the US government to empower young girls around the world to secure a quality education.