'I want you to know that we have very much in common. For nothing in my life would have predicted that I would be standing here as First Lady of the United States of America...' When Michelle Obama spoke these words in a London school, the effect on the students was overwhelming. Her inspiring words, approachable nature and regal style make Michelle a much-loved public figure and a role model in her own right. A child of working class parents in Chicago, Michelle is an Ivy League graduate, a lawyer, and became an international icon as wife to President Barack Obama. Her life is a tale of extraordinary achievement against a changing society.