By Jaly Marquez

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is a highly renowned black woman not because of her former president husband but because of the work she does for people from her hometown and people around the world. Obama was the first African-American First Lady. Mrs. Obama is highly educated as she went to both Harvard and Princeton where she graduated with a degree in law. In her early years, Obama worked in many nonprofits as she found that she enjoyed helping people with her educational background and degree. As a result, she left her job at a law firm and became the Dean of the University of Chicago as well as the President for Community and External Affairs at the Chicago Medical Center, thus keeping her thoroughly involved in her community. Obama lobbied for higher nutrition standards that called for more vegetables, fruits and whole grains in school meals, along with less fat, sugar and sodium. Over 90 percent of public schools in the U.S. have subscribed to these standards. Making school lunches healthier was just one initiative to help end childhood obesity. In addition, Obama also created the “Let’s Move” a campaign that can help parents and guardians make healthier choices when it comes to their child’s food and the amount of physical activity. Obama has always remained a fan favorite and her newly released book “Becoming,” which is an autobiography of her life, became a best-seller within its first week and remained on top for two months past its release date.

Lebron James

Lebron James continually gives back to his community and is also one of the world’s best professional basketball players, currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. This past year, he announced the grand opening of “I Promise,” a school that he made for children in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. This school is solely for low-income families from the area, from first to eighth grade. This school is targeted specifically for children that have little to no financial resources. James’ school offers free tuition, free uniforms, free meals, a food pantry for families, and free transportation. The biggest accomplishment of this school is that it helps the parents improve their ways of life and promises each child a true chance of attending college for free. By having this opportunity to attend college they can truly say that they had a fair chance at pursuing their goals. James has programs for parents to continue their education as well by providing them with GED help or even helping them with job and career counseling set up. This school is the first of its kind and with its proven success.