Graduating from college is a big deal. Anyone who’s ever pursued higher education knows that there’s something different about managing a college workload versus high school or the lower grades. So, when a graduate finally crosses the stage and moves their tassel to the other side of their graduation cap, it’s well deserved.
For many, the journey from the first day of freshman year to graduation day can include some twists and turns. Most recently, Sasha Obama, the youngest of former President Barack Obama’s children, just graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) last year. Here’s everything we know about her college career and what’s on the horizon for her in the future.
The Youngest Obama Child
Most people remember when Sasha (then 7) and her older sister Malia (then 10) moved into the White House in 2009 shortly after her father’s inauguration–becoming some of the historic building’s youngest occupants since John F. Kennedy’s presidency.
Life at the White House and After
Understandably, the two young girls didn’t spend much time in the spotlight until they had an unofficial debut at their first state dinner in 2016 where the Obama White House hosted Canada’s then (and current) prime minister, Justin Trudeau. But even according to her mother, Michelle Obama, Sasha began to come into her own during Barack’s second term and started showcasing her independent personality.
While at the White House, Sasha and Malia both attended Sidwell School, a tony private school with a who’s who list of past presidential and congressional children that attended. During her time there, Sasha was on the swim team and also competed in the basketball team, with her father temporarily coaching them until other parents balked because of his high profile. Sasha also performed ballet, serving as one of the select children asked to participate in The Nutcracker with the Moscow Ballet in 2012.
By the close of the Obama presidency, Malia took a year off before heading to Harvard University, while Sasha was firmly in her high school years. During this time, she was often photographed enjoying time with friends at music festivals and of course taking family vacations with her famous parents. In 2019, she graduated from Sidwell School and was ready for her next chapter.
Sasha Heads to the University of Michigan
Unlike her sister, Sasha decided to bypass the gap year and go straight to college after high school. In news that shocked some people, Sasha opted not to attend a ritzy Ivy League school and instead set her sights on a Big 10 university. In the fall of 2019, she enrolled in the University of Michigan and lived on campus. However, like many other students, COVID-19 shutdowns forced her to move back home during her sophomore year between 2020 and 2021.
A Late Transfer
Many people were shocked to find that Sasha Obama transferred to the University of Southern California for her senior year. But this isn’t exactly a rare phenomenon for college students. Often enough, people choose to transfer after freshman year or midway through college.
Sometimes this is because they didn’t get into their preferred school and needed to gain credits or better grades in certain studies before reapplying. And in other cases, a student may realize that for their career path, their current institution doesn’t have the right courses.
While the academic choice behind the transfer isn’t known, sources say that one big reason that persuaded Sasha to consider a late transfer for her senior year was to be closer to her big sister, Malia. The two have always been close, and Malia had always expressed a desire to be in Los Angeles to pursue a career in film. Additionally, Michelle Obama also revealed in 2022 that her two daughters shared an apartment together in LA.
Sasha’s Big Graduation
While some news outlets speculated that she moved to USC to follow in her sister’s footsteps by also pursuing a career in film (a very popular degree for USC), this was not the reality, at least for what Sasha Obama was studying at USC. In May 2023, Sasha received a degree in sociology from the USC Dornsife College of Letters.
Sasha’s Life After Graduation
With barely a year after graduating from one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, Sasha is currently enjoying her freedom living in LA. Only time will tell how she’ll create her own path but her parents are rooting for her success no matter what she does.
