Jessica Toyer
December 1, 2014
Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama was born on January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. In 1985 she attended Princeton University, graduating cum laude. Once she graduated, she proceeded to Harvard Law School to obtain a law degree in 1988. After graduating from law school she worked at a Chicago law firm, where she met President Barack Obama. They were married soon after on October 3, 1992. Michelle was raised in a one bedroom apartment on the South side of Chicago. Marian, her mother, was a Spiegel’s secretary who later left her job to become a stay at home mom for Michelle and her older brother Craig. Fraser Robinson, her dad, was a Democratic precinct captain and a city pump operator. Michelle and Craig were often mistaken for twins while growing up, even though they have a twenty one month age gap. They both slept in the living room with only a sheet dividing the “rooms”. They both learned to read at the age of four and they both skipped the second grade. They were raised with an emphasis on education. Michelle was taking accelerated classes by the sixth grade, while learning French. Michelle also attended the first magnet high school for gifted children, serving as the student government treasurer. In 1981, she graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago’s West Loop as class salutatorian. While attending Harvard Law School in 1988 she took part in demonstrations that demanded more minority students and professors.
In 1989, while working at the Sidley Austin Law Firm she met her future husband Barack Obama. Michelle was assigned to advise Barack. After about a month of working together Barack asked Michelle on a date. She initially refused to date Barack, because of their work relationship, but eventually she caved in and they eventually fell in love. After two years of dating, Barack proposed at a restaurant while they were celebrating his completion of a bar. The two were married on October 3, 1992 at Trinity United Church of Christ. Michelle left her job to pursue a career in public service. She began serving as assistant to Mayor Daley, later rising to assistant commissioner of planning and development for the City of Chicago. In 1993, she became executive director for a nonprofit leadership-training program that helped young adults develop skills for future careers in the public sector, the Chicago Office of Public Allies. In 1996, she joined the University of Chicago as associate dean of student services. While serving as associate dean she helped develop the university’s first community service program. Beginning in 2002, she worked with the University of Chicago Hospitals as executive director of community relations and external affairs. She was appointed vice president for community and external affairs at the University Of Chicago Medical Center in May 2005. She continued working part time at the medical center until shortly before her husband’s presidential inauguration. Currently Michelle is serving as a board member for the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Michelle Obama was first caught by the eye of a national audience at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, while her husband, Barack Obama, delivered a high profile speech. Later that year Barack was elected to the U.S. Senate from Illinois in November. Michelle scaled back her own professional work to tend to family and campaign obligations during Barack’s run for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. Michelle was featured in Essence magazine in May of 2006, as one of “ 25 of the World’s Most Inspiring Women”. In September of 2007, she was include in 02138 magazine as number 58 in a yearly list of Harvard’s most influential alumni, “The Harvard 100”. She’s also made
