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Dr. Jill Biden: Charting Her Path from Teacher to America’s First Lady

Of all the First Ladies of the United States, Jill Biden may be one of the most unique of them all in a few different ways. One way in particular is that Jill is the only one in history to continue working full-time after becoming First Lady. She has been working as an educator for over 30 years and did not let her residence in the White House stop her from giving back to the youth in such an impactful way. Jill Biden, who actually has her doctorate degree, continues to make sure that education is a top priority for the White House, no matter what. Read on to learn more about Dr. Jill Biden, her career, her time at the White House, and more. 

Jill Biden’s story began in New Jersey

She was born as Jill Tracy Jacobs in 1951 in Hammonton, New Jersey. Jill was the oldest of five sisters, and her father was a bank teller while her mother stayed at home to take care of the family. Jill attended Upper Moreland High School, where she was an honor student and a member of the school’s cheerleading squad. 

After graduating from high school in 1969, she attended Brandywine Junior College in Pennsylvania, studying fashion merchandising. She also modeled briefly for a local modeling agency. She then transferred to the University of Delaware, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1975. She later obtained two master’s degrees, one in education from West Chester University and another in English from Villanova University. One of her most notable achievements is earning a doctoral degree in education, which she received from the University of Delaware in 2007.