Behind Sasha Obama's closed doors lies a college life full of secrets:
a daring balloon tattoo, a commercial writer boyfriend,
and a sisterly reunion in the buzzing city of Los Angeles. What else is in store for her?
Rumors about Sasha's future at college began when an Instagram
photo of the teen and a couple of pals at the Ann Arbor campus
surfaced on Instagram. The snap tagged in the University of Michigan was captioned,
"So proud to say I'm going to college with my sisters!!"
After graduating from Sidwell Friends private school in 2019, the rumors became reality when
Sasha Obama enrolled at the University of Michigan. This made her the first member of
her immediate family to avoid an Ivy League college in favor of a Big Ten University.
Her sister Malia graduated from Harvard University, the same institution where
Michelle and Barack Obama studied law. Despite the change from Ivy League to Big Ten, Sasha
appeared to be accepted by other college goers with Jessica Brisner telling The Detroit News,
"I think it's cool that even though her family went to Ivy League schools, she decided that
UM was the caliber high enough to match that of an Ivy League school."
Although Sasha Obama has yet to officially comment about any of her experiences at college,
her mother has a lot to say. And as you would expect, the youngster's first day
at the University of Michigan was something of an emotional one for the entire family.
While appearing on "Today," Michelle Obama admitted to host Jenna Bush Hager that she'd
initially tried to keep her composure while saying goodbye to her youngest daughter:
"We didn't want to embarrass her because, y'know, she had roommates."
But the significance of sending her daughter off to college eventually got the better of
everyone. Michelle admitted that it didn't hit her until after lunch when they all
said their final goodbyes and headed in different directions that her daughter was going on her own.
"Sasha drove off on her own, and said that last goodbye,
that's when we were like *crying noises*."
Although the "Becoming" author expressed pride that both her
daughters had forged their own paths, she did confess to feeling melancholic
about the fact that she and her husband were now empty nesters.
As the daughter of the 44th President of the United States,
Sasha Obama had a summer freshman orientation at the University of Michigan slightly different
from the norm. As third-year film student Zach Lassen explained to The Detroit News,
"I was walking by pushing a vacuum and [Sasha] walked out right in front of me. I said,
'Excuse me.' It was a crowded hallway with her and some Secret Service dudes."
So how did other students respond to such intrusion? Well, although he revealed that
several were slightly perturbed by inadvertently walking into something resembling a James Bond
film, Lassen personally felt that it was cool to have an Obama in the classroom.
While Sasha received official protection during her early days at the college,
it seems likely that she eventually had to look after herself. Although
her dad Barack Obama signed a lifetime security protection bill for every man to
have presided over the White House, this didn't extend to any offspring. Indeed,
any first daughters or first sons are only guaranteed proper security until the age of 16.
Less than a year into her studies at the University of Michigan, Sasha Obama had to
leave her campus and return to the family home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She wasn’t the only one,
though. Mother Michelle Obama told Jennifer Lopez in an Instagram Live interview,
Sasha’s older sister Malia also had to leave her new life at Harvard University temporarily behind.
So how did the Obama daughters cope with being in the company of their mother and father 24/7
again? Well, Michelle joked that the pair had already become sick of her but that she was just
glad they were safe and sound. The former first lady acknowledged on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show,"
"This is like no other time in history, particularly for our kids,
who are so used to being occupied and stimulated all the time."
In another chat with People, Michelle revealed that she was determined to treat
Sasha and Malia differently now that they were all back under the same roof, saying,
"They didn't come back into the house into the same set of rules,
because I didn't want them to miss out on independence. They came back
as young women and our conversations are more peer-oriented than they are mother-to-daughter."
After spending her first year as a college student at the University of
Michigan and then being forced to learn online at her parents' home due to the
coronavirus pandemic, Sasha Obama once again experienced a major educational
change in 2022 when she transferred to the University of Southern California.
As with her previous alma mater, this news wasn't officially confirmed at the time. Instead,
the press put two and two together after Sasha was repeatedly spotted walking
around the campus of the Golden State's oldest private research university. The
former POTUS' youngest daughter had enrolled in its psychology program.
But Sasha had obviously had enough of living on campus. Instead of residing in a house
share with her fellow students, she decided to shack up with her older sister Malia Obama,
who by this point had already graduated from Harvard University and was busy
forging a career as a screenwriter, in her Los Angeles apartment.
Sasha Obama's living arrangements in her final year at the University of Southern
California may have differed from many of her fellow students since moving in
with her sister in LA, but that doesn't mean she enjoyed a life of pure luxury.
In her book "The Light We Carry," Michelle Obama revealed that her two daughters had bought much
of their furniture from IKEA and yard sales. This perhaps isn't too much of a surprise as
the Obamas have always tried to ensure that their two daughters know the value of money.
In 2016, Sasha took a waitress job at seafood restaurant Martha's Vineyard
to make her own spare cash instead of relying on her parents' fortune. Michelle also revealed her
pride at seeing her two daughters become so close in a chat with People, saying,
"You try not to react too much [...] because then they think, 'Well, maybe this is not a good thing
if my mom likes it.' So I just said, 'Okay, well that's interesting that you guys are going to try
living together. We'll see how it goes.' It feels good to know that the two girls you raised find
solace at a kitchen table with one another. It's like the one thing you want for them."
In 2022, the Daily Mail reported that Sasha Obama snatched herself
a celebrity boyfriend while studying at the University of Southern California.
Who was the lucky man? The son of the same-named "Ray" actor,
Clifton Powell Jr.. He began his career playing basketball at University of Southern
California Santa Barbara but after just a year he dropped out to pursue his passion for film.
Evidence of their relationship came in the form of several photos of the beaming pair taking
a walk together and another snap in which they can be seen firmly embracing. Clifton,
who’s now a commercials writer and director who's worked with high profile brands such
as Peloton and Nike, is four years older than Sasha. But the age-gap,
and studies-distracting potential, doesn't appear to bother the Sasha’s mother.
While appearing on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Michelle Obama referenced the
fact that both of her daughters now have boyfriends — Malia Obama had been dating
fellow Harvard University graduate Rory Farquharson since 2017 — joking,
"They loved the Jonas Brothers. Now they are bringing grown men home."
College is supposed to be all about experimentation. And while Sasha Obama
has kept a relatively low profile while studying at the University of
Southern California, she's still had a slightly rebellious phase.
Along with dating a former basketball star boyfriend four years her senior,
the former presidential daughter also allegedly went against her parents' wishes by getting inked.
According to MailOnline, Sasha got a tattoo on her inner elbow
of a hot air balloon while taking some downtime from her psychology studies.
This may sound like a relatively innocuous form of expression but
mother Michelle Obama has previously gone on record about her dislike of tattoos.
In an interview on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," the former first lady revealed
that she and husband Barack Obama tried to deter their two children
from ever visiting a tattoo parlor through the prospect of humiliation.
"We used to threaten our kids that 'if you get a tattoo,
we're going to get exactly the same kind, and show it on TikTok or whatever.'"
Sasha Obama's rumored hot air balloon tattoo isn't the only way she's distanced herself
from her formal first daughter style since becoming a college student. The
twenty-something has been pictured at both the University of Michigan and the University
of Southern California sporting a very individual fashion sense that’s had glossy magazines raving.
In 2022, for example, Hola gushed about the knitted multi-colored sweater,
equally bright tote bag and overalls combo she completed with a pair of limited edition Nikes,
describing it as a "stylish and iconoclastic outfit" and said she had a "uniquely '90s vibe."
There’s no doubt that fashion sense runs in the Obama family. Mother Michelle, father Barack and
older sister Malia have all been hailed for their distinctive style over the years, too.
Sasha Obama isn't the only famous face currently attending the University of
Southern California. In 2022, a star of the provocative teen drama, "Euphoria,"
was pictured arriving at the same campus block just minutes after the former first daughter.
Storm Reid, who plays Gia Bennett, the younger sister of leading lady Zendaya's Rue in the HBO
hit, isn't taking the same psychology course as Sasha. The actor is majoring in Drama and minoring
in African-American studies. But it seems likely that the pair have crossed paths at some point.
Barack Obama's daughter's decision to transfer from the University of Michigan has confirmed
USC as the place-to-be for celebrity offspring. The institution also counts
the late Kobe Bryant's daughter Natalia Bryant on its current student roll call.