|
|
|
Quotes
- “Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”
- “If you’re walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”
Personal History
- Obama was born in Hawaii. His father, a Kenyan, and his mother, originally from Kansas, met at the University of Hawaii.
- Following his mother’s remarriage, Obama lived in Indonesia from the ages of 6 to 10.
- When he was in the fifth grade, Obama returned to Hawaii, where he lived with his maternal grandparents until he graduated from high school.
- After his high school graduation, Obama moved to Los Angeles, California, where he enrolled at Occidental College.
- After attending Occidental for two years, Obama transferred to Columbia University in New York. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1983.
- Following graduation from Columbia, Obama moved to Chicago. There he worked as a community organizer with a nonprofit group for four years.
- In 1991, Obama earned a law degree from Harvard University. While a student at the university, he became the first African American to serve as president of the Harvard Law Review, a student-run organization that publishes an influential legal journal.
- After earning his law degree, Obama returned to Chicago, where he worked as a civil rights lawyer. He also taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.
- In 1992, Obama married his wife, Michelle, whom he first met while working as a summer associate in a Chicago law firm. Their first daughter was born in 1999 and their second daughter was born in 2001.
- Obama was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1997. He served in the state legislature until 2004.
- In 2000, Obama unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Congress. Four years later he was elected to the U.S. Senate
- Obama became well known across the United States after giving the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
- In February 2007 Obama announced his plan to run for president of the United States.
Influences
- Obama chose to get involved in politics while working as a community organizer in Chicago. It was during this period that he realized that change occurs most effectively through politics and legislation.
Other Works
The Audacity of Hope
Dreams from My Father
Points of Interest
- Obama enjoys playing pickup games of basketball. He played on his high school team in Hawaii and was a starter on the Occidental College basketball team.
|
|
|
