Michelle Obama, Super-Popular 1-Perfectionist 1st Lady

Source: Drawing by Elizabeth Wagele

Michelle Obama (born January 17, 1964), who was raised on the South Side of Chicago, is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. Early in her legal career she worked at a law firm where she met Barack. She also worked as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago and the Vice President for Community and External Affairs of the University of Chicago Medical Center.

As First Lady, she is a role model for women and an advocate for poverty awareness, physical activity, and healthy eating. I believe she’s an Enneagram type One, the Perfectionist, and may be an INFJ (introvert, intuitive, feeling, judging) in the MBTI system. Her idealism shows in almost everything she does.

One-Perfectionists try hard in school. Michelle was on the honor roll in high school, took advanced placement classes, was a member of the National Honor Society, and served as student council treasurer.

She followed her brother to Princeton University. Michelle became aware of her ethnicity when the mother of a white roommate tried to get her daughter moved because of her race. Despite the willingness of her classmates and teachers to want to understand her, she felt like a visitor on campus.

Michelle majored in sociology and minored in African American studies, graduating cum laude. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard Law School and worked for the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

Typical of Ones, Michelle works hard. She became Executive Director of a non-profit organization encouraging young people to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies. She set fundraising records for the organization that still stood 12 years after she left. She also served on the board of directors of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. As First Lady, Obama visited homeless shelters and soup kitchens, sent representatives to schools and advocated public service. She hosted a White House reception for women's rights advocates in celebration of the enactment of a fair pay act.

Michelle is passionate about fairness. Barack agreed to quit smoking in exchange for her support of his decision to run. She wrote her own stump speeches for her husband's campaigns and generally spoke without notes.

Trying to make a difference is another trait of many Ones. Michelle advocated on behalf of military families, helping working women balance career and family, encouraging national service, and promoting the arts and arts education. She joined the campaign to bring back schoolgirls who had been kidnapped in Nigeria, planted the White House Kitchen Garden, and installed beehives on the South Lawn. She said, "I want to leave something behind that we can say, 'Because of this time that this person spent here, this thing has changed.' And my hope is that that's going to be in the area of childhood obesity.”

Ones are inspired to do what’s right. Michelle included openly gay service members in her national military families initiative. She and Barack came out in favor of same-sex marriage. She said, “In a country where we teach our children that everyone is equal under the law, discriminating against same-sex couples just isn't right. It's as simple as that.”

Enneagram Ones are highly principled. Michelle said, “You work hard for what you want in life, your word is your bond, and you do what you say you're going to do, you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them.”

(This blog’s bio info based on Wikipedia.)

• See Elizabeth’s Famous People list on wagele.com.