Sasha Obama Didn’t Follow in Her Parents’ Footsteps When Choosing a College

It’s hard not to feel old when we think back on the night Barack Obama was first elected president. Malia and Sasha Obama were two young girls whose lives were about to change forever — both because they were about to move into the White House and because they were finally going to get a puppy. Two very big events, we can all agree.

These days, Malia and Sasha are two young women embarking on their own career paths, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what they accomplish. Given who their parents are, we think it’s pretty safe to assume they’ll be doing great things. Part of growing up has been pursuing higher education — here’s a glimpse at Sasha Obama’s education journey so far.

Prior to their dad’s election to the presidency, both Malia and Sasha (whose given name is actually Natasha) attended the University of Chicago Laboratory School, a progressive private school that educates students as young as three years old through the 12th grade. Both Malia and Sasha were also involved in several extra-curricular activities. Specifically, Sasha took part in gymnastics, tap, piano, and tennis.

Of course, the move to Washington, D.C. necessitated moving schools. Along with Malia, Sasha began attending another private school: Sidwell Friends School. Interestingly enough, that’s the same school that Chelsea Clinton attended, as well as other First Kids Tricia Nixon Cox and Archibald Roosevelt (Joe Biden’s grandkids are also students there). Sidwell Friends School is a Quaker school that offers education to students from Pre-K through grade 12.

After President Obama’s second presidential term ended, the family moved into another Washington, D.C. home, partially to allow Sasha to complete her education at Sidwell Friends. Now, she has moved on to college!

Malia followed in her parents’ footsteps and attended Harvard University, but Sasha is forging her own higher education path. In the Fall of 2019, she reportedly enrolled at the University of Michigan. 

Barack and Michelle Obama have always prioritized the privacy of their children. As such, there isn’t a lot of public information regarding Sasha’s collegiate experience. She also doesn’t have a public Instagram account. Honestly, after spending her entire childhood more or less in the public eye, it’s probably pretty refreshing to have the space to do her own thing in college.

In January of 2009, President Obama published an open letter to Malia and Sasha in Parade magazine. In the letter, he described his hope both for his daughters and for all of the children of the United States of America. “These are the things I want for you,” he wrote. “To grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world.”

It certainly seems as though both Sasha and Malia are well on their way to making their dad’s hope a reality.