Michelle Obama: First Lady Extraordinare

Ever since the days of Eleanor Roosevelt, the role of the First Lady has changed from a date to state affairs and face at photo opportunities to an active political role. While women such as Hillary Rodham Clinton and Laura Bush made notable contributions while in their role as First Lady, Michelle Obama has brought a breath of fresh air into the White House.

Michelle Obama was a major contributing force to her husband's campaign for a number of reasons. First and foremost, she was tremendously supportive of her husband's effort, and did a wonderful job of portraying her family to the public. More than that, however, she was able to provide a fantastic example of a strong, African-American woman. Michelle Obama grew up on the south side of Chicago, the daughter of two loving parents of little means. Despite the obstacles she faced during this time period, she went on to graduate with degrees in Sociology and African American Studies at Princeton. After that, she graduated from Harvard law, and went on enjoy success at a prominent law firm in Chicago. This example of hard work and success makes Michelle Obama an excellent role model in many ways.

In the White House, Michelle Obama has played the role of a loving and supportive wife, and has placed a great deal of emphasis on encouraging healthy habits for young children. Her work is so important that President Obama even made mention of her efforts in the State of the Union Address. She will be spending a great deal of time helping to develop programs that will encourage healthy eating habits and active lifestyles. In addition to her work fighting childhood obesity, Michelle Obama is also a champion of military families. She recently delivered a speech in which she promised a 3% increase in funding for military families, in order to make sure they are provided with adequate housing, supplies and medical care.

Throughout the past century, the role of the First Lady has continually evolved. Michelle Obama is likely to continue this evolution in a positive manner. A strong, accomplished family member, she's already taking the world by storm with her ambitious agenda. She's unlikely to stop either. As she continues to further develop her projects, she also remains a close confidant of the President himself, giving her position even more influence. If Eleanor Roosevelt were alive today, she'd probably be proud.