Dynamic, innovative, revolutionary – just a few words to describe the incomparable woman known to us as Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama is not only the first African American First Lady of the United States, but an accomplished mother, author, attorney and inspirational figure around the world.

Our former First Lady was born on January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. From an early age, she was raised to speak her mind and reach for the stars.

She’s always hated the question, “What will you be when you grow up?” because it encourages the idea that you can only be one thing, or that you can’t evolve (hence her memoir’s title, Becoming). She loves the fact that you never stop growing, never stop learning for your entire life.

And as refreshing as her philosophy is, she’s already achieved so much. Here’s a few interesting facts from her extraordinary resume:

• She was one of the most educated first ladies in history, having graduated from 2 of the nation’s most elite schools, Princeton (for her BA) and Harvard (for her JD). She also has quite a few honorary doctorates.
• She met her husband, Barack, while working as an attorney at Sidley & Austin, located in Chicago. She was assigned to be his mentor and had reservations about dating. However, time changed that. A few years later, they were married.
• As first lady, she introduced several campaigns including:
  • Let’s Move, which brought together leaders from various professions to confront the growing problem of childhood obesity.
  • Reformed the School Lunch program with bipartisan support, which provided free and reduced lunch for over 20 million low-income children and required more nutritious meals to be served.
  • Reach Higher, which encouraged every student to further their education past high school, whether it was at a university, community college, or trade school.
• She is considered to be a fashion icon. She was named the “most stylish woman” by Style Magazine in 2013, and has graced the covers of various fashion magazines since.
• She was nominated for a Grammy for the audio version of her memoir.
• She’s 5’11!
• Nicknamed “The Closer” because of her ability to persuade people to vote.
• She and Barack’s documentary, American Factory, is nominated for an Oscar.
• Haters are her fuel. She loves to prove people wrong.

The fact that one of the most beloved first ladies of our time comes from our state is just one more reason to like Illinois.