by Hailey Sepulvado ’22

The role of the First Lady is not a political position, nor is it an elected one. For this reason, the First Lady has been seen by many as an “accessory” to the President, not someone who can make an impact as someone with political power. The role has evolved over the decades, with First Ladies using the platform to advocate for issues important to them. A bigger change is about to come with the First Lady-elect, Dr. Jill Biden, who will make history by becoming the first First Lady to hold a full-time, paid job. Dr. Biden is a college English professor at a community college, holding four degrees with one being a doctorate. This is not new to her, as she maintained her teaching job while holding the title of Second Lady during the Obama administration. 

With an educator in the White House, there will most likely be new priorities for   America’s education system under the influence of Dr. Biden. Most certainly, community colleges will be a big focus for the new administration because of her work as a community college professor. Her focus will be advocating for these colleges and fighting to make them free for everyone. Having a community college educator in the White House will be beneficial because these colleges are often overlooked by powerful lawmakers. Dr. Biden has professional and long-term experience at these colleges and has the power to make gratifying changes for these schools. If you are a student planning to go to a community college, this is a positive change occurring in the White House. 

Educational changes will not be the only focus of Dr. Biden; she will also be putting her attention to military families and cancer research. These two topics are personal to the Biden family because sonsHunter Biden and Beau Biden both served in the U.S. military. The Bidens know what it is like to have a loved one overseas, which makes advocating for these families and getting them the help they need one of her top priorities. Cancer research is another topic close to the Biden’s because their Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. As Vice President and Second Lady, the Biden’s began to become heavily involved in cancer research when their son was diagnosed, and plan on continuing their work towards the cure to cancer. Dr. Biden will bring a different perspective to the White House; one not seen in previous administrations, by pursuing her professional and personal interests.