Michelle Obama: Iconic, Inspirational, Impactful

First Lady Michelle Obama is one of the most popular pop culture icons in modern society. Even while her husband’s approval rating by the American public has fluctuated, Michelle’s has stayed surprisingly high, at 79% in 2009 at the start of her husband’s presidency and currently at 68% as the Obama family leaves the White House.

As today, Jan. 17, is her birthday, I compiled a list of some of her best – and my favorite – achievements while First Lady. She has become a beacon of hope for young, black girls across the country and a herald of inspiration showing that the country, and world, can be positive and get through tough times. She has certainly surpassed the “normal” things First Ladies are supposed to accomplish while their spouse is in office. First things first, she is the only First Lady in history to have two Ivy League degrees, proving she is as smart as she appears.

She launched the famous Let’s Move! which seeks to solve childhood obesity by providing healthy food in schools, motivating kids to exercise and be active, among others.

“You asked for more fresh, nutritious food in your communities. So we’re working to bring more grocery stores into underserved areas. You wanted healthier, more affordable options on those grocery store shelves. So food manufacturers made a ‘Healthy Weight Commitment’, pledging to cut 1.5 trillion calories a year from their products. And Walmart promised to sell products with less sugar, salt and trans-fat – and to reduce prices on healthy items like fresh fruits and vegetables.”

She passed the School Lunch program in 2010. This program has given free and reduced-price meals to over 21 million low-income children. With 44% of children in the country living in a low-income family, this is truly an incredible feat. She also started MyPlate and MiPlato, an attempt to help parents give their kids healthier options to eat.

“Eating healthy is a journey shaped by many factors, including our stage of life, situations, preferences, access to food, culture, traditions, and the personal decisions we make over time. All your food and beverage choices count. MyPlate offers ideas and tips to help you create a healthier eating style that meets your individual needs and improves your health.”

In 2011, she and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces to rally around veterans and members of the military and their families to support them through education, health and employment opportunities. By creating this program, the First Lady has effectively helped better the lives of those serving our country.

“As part of the 5th Anniversary of Joining Forces, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden announced more than 1.2 million veterans and military spouses have been hired or trained as a result of ongoing outreach.”

Mrs. Obama launched Let Girls Learn with President Obama to encourage girls all over the world to stay in school and gave them the means to do so by exposing girls to countless opportunities and help to empower them to take control. Speaking of controlling one’s educational future, she also created the Reach Higher Initiative, which helps young people across America take their future into their own hands, by helping them through the process of applying to college, practicing for interviews and auditions, supporting high school counselors and teaching them about financial aid. Let Girls Learn is a truly fascinating and amazing initiative that I highly suggest you learn more about if you care at all about girls’ education!

“Once you see somebody on TV it looks like it’s easy, but the truth is we only know many of these women once they’ve become famous, once they’re in the news. Faith and love and hard work — that’s what got us through. You don’t need money or connections. The question is, do you let that fear stop you?”

Happy birthday, Michelle Obama. Thank you for all you have done.