Career Timeline of Jill Biden: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Jill Biden, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Jill Biden is an American educator and the former First Lady of the United States (2021-2025), married to President Joe Biden. Previously, she served as the Second Lady from 2009 to 2017 during her husband's vice presidency. Notably, she has continued her career as an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College since 2009, even while holding the position of First Lady, demonstrating her commitment to education.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles

1975: Graduation and Teaching Career

In 1975, Jill Biden graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Delaware and began her career as a substitute teacher in Wilmington, later teaching English full-time at St. Mark's High School.

1988: Biden's 1988 Presidential Campaign

In 1988, during her husband's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Jill Biden stated she would continue teaching emotionally disabled children even if she became First Lady.

1993: Instructor at Delaware Technical & Community College

From 1993, Jill Biden worked as an instructor in English at the Stanton campus of Delaware Technical & Community College.

1993: Founded Biden Breast Health Initiative

In 1993, Jill Biden founded the Biden Breast Health Initiative, a nonprofit organization that provides free breast health awareness programs.

January 2007: Doctorate in Education

In January 2007, at age 55, Jill Biden received a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in educational leadership from the University of Delaware.

2007: Co-founded Book Buddies

In 2007, Jill Biden helped found Book Buddies, an organization providing books for low-income children.

2008: End of Instructorship at Delaware Technical & Community College

In 2008, Jill Biden ended her role as an instructor in English at the Stanton campus of Delaware Technical & Community College.

2008: Campaigning for Vice Presidency

In 2008, after her husband was selected as Barack Obama's running mate, Jill Biden began campaigning for the vice presidency, continuing to teach at Delaware Technical & Community College.

2008: Campaigning for Joe Biden's Presidential Nomination

In 2008, during Joe Biden's unsuccessful campaign for the Democratic presidential nominee, Jill Biden continued to teach and joined him for campaigning on weekends.

January 2009: Moved to Number One Observatory Circle and Continued Teaching

In January 2009, after the election of the Obama–Biden ticket, Jill Biden moved into Number One Observatory Circle, and began teaching English courses as an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).

May 2009: Initiative for Community Colleges

In May 2009, Obama announced that Jill Biden would be in charge of an initiative to raise awareness about the value of community colleges.

2009: Jill Biden Becomes Second Lady and Professor

In 2009, Jill Biden became the Second Lady of the United States when her husband, Joe Biden, became Vice President. She also started working as a professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College.

2009: Full-Time Faculty Member at NOVA

In 2009, Jill Biden received a two-year appointment as a full-time faculty member at NOVA.

January 2010: Commencement Speech at University of Delaware

In January 2010, Jill Biden gave the commencement speech at the University of Delaware's winter commencement.

August 2010: Appearance on Army Wives

In August 2010, Jill Biden appeared as herself in an episode of Lifetime's "Army Wives" TV-show as part of her campaign to raise awareness of military families.

April 2011: Founded Joining Forces

In April 2011, Jill Biden and Michelle Obama founded Joining Forces, a national initiative to showcase the needs of U.S. military families.

September 2011: Support for USAID's FWD Campaign

In September 2011, Jill Biden lent her support to USAID's FWD campaign, a push for awareness surrounding the famine, war, and drought affecting more than 13 million people in the Horn of Africa.

2011: Permanent Position as Associate Professor at NOVA

In 2011, Jill Biden was given a permanent position as an associate professor at NOVA.

February 2012: "Community College to Career" bus tour

In February 2012, Jill Biden staged a "Community College to Career" bus tour with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. The tour aimed to showcase alliances between community colleges and local and regional businesses.

June 2012: Publishes children's book and daughter's wedding

In June 2012, Jill Biden published a children's book, Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops, based around her stepson Beau's deployment. Also in June 2012, the Bidens' daughter Ashley married Howard Krein.

Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops

Check it on Amazon

November 6, 2012: Re-election of Obama and her husband

On November 6, 2012, Barack Obama and her husband Joe Biden were re-elected, marking the start of Jill Biden's second term as Second Lady.

2012: Modest role in 2012 U.S. presidential election

In 2012, during the U.S. presidential election, Jill Biden played a modest role, continuing her teaching schedule and making few solo campaign appearances, despite being considered valuable to the Obama campaign for connecting with military families, teachers, and women.

January 2013: Begins second term as Second Lady

In January 2013, Jill Biden began her second term as Second Lady, continuing to support military personnel and visiting the Center for the Intrepid rehabilitation facility for amputees.

2014: Campaigns for Democrats

During the 2014 U.S. midterm Congressional elections, Jill Biden campaigned for several Democrats, including Mark Udall in Colorado and Michelle Nunn in Georgia.

October 21, 2015: Husband announces he will not run for president

On October 21, 2015, Jill Biden was present at her husband's side when he announced in the Rose Garden that he would not run for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in the 2016 election.

2015: Teaching at NOVA

During the Fall 2015 semester, Jill Biden continued to teach at NOVA, handling a full load of five classes.

2016: Disappointment over husband's decision not to run for president

In 2016, Jill Biden felt disappointed by her husband's decision not to run for president, believing he was highly qualified for the position.

February 2017: Launches Biden Foundation and named board chair of Save the Children

In February 2017, Jill Biden and her husband launched the Biden Foundation to pursue causes such as preventing violence against women, his moonshot initiative, community colleges, and military families. That same month, she was named board chair of Save the Children.

May 2017: Keynote address at Milwaukee Area Technical College

In May 2017, Jill Biden was selected to give the keynote address at a commencement for Milwaukee Area Technical College.

July 2017: Keynote address at California teachers summit

In July 2017, Jill Biden gave the keynote address at a California teachers summit, emphasizing the importance of communities supporting their teachers.

2017: End of Second Lady Term

In 2017, Jill Biden's term as Second Lady of the United States concluded.

May 2018: Commencement address at Bishop State Community College

In May 2018, Jill Biden gave a commencement address at Bishop State Community College in Alabama, encouraging graduates to pursue their goals.

February 2019: Speaks to Newport News Apprentice School graduating class

In February 2019, Jill Biden spoke to the graduating class of the Newport News Apprentice School, acknowledging their complicated life situations and responsibilities and emphasizing their mastery of a craft.

March 2019: Enthusiastically in favor of husband running for president

In March 2019, it was reported that Jill Biden was "enthusiastically" in favor of her husband running in the 2020 United States presidential election, making her a key participant in his decision-making process.

April 25, 2019: Official announcement of Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign

On April 25, 2019, the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign was officially announced.

May 2019: Publication of memoir

In May 2019, Jill Biden's memoir, Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself, was published, focusing on family aspects rather than politics. She did book signings to promote the book.

Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself

Check it on Amazon

2019: Increased income and charitable giving

By 2019, Jill Biden and her husband reported about $15 million in income since leaving the vice presidency, including $700,000 in speaking engagements for herself. The couple also substantially increased their charitable giving during this period.

2019: Continued teaching and campaign appearances

During 2019, Jill Biden continued to teach at NOVA and made campaign appearances without her husband, including in early contest states like Iowa and New Hampshire, emphasizing electability and urging voters to prioritize beating Trump.

June 2020: Publication of children's book

In June 2020, Jill Biden published the children's book Joey: The Story of Joe Biden, which portrayed him as brave and adventurous as a child.

Joey: The Story of Joe Biden

Check it on Amazon

July 2020: Speaks out about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education

In July 2020, Jill Biden spoke out about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, emphasizing the need for a clear, science-based strategy and criticizing U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

November 2020: Appointment of Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor

In mid-November 2020, Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón was announced as Jill Biden's chief of staff as First Lady, and Anthony Bernal was announced as her senior advisor.

2020: Listening tour for Cancer Moonshot 2020

During 2016, Jill Biden was present with her husband on a listening tour for Cancer Moonshot 2020, an effort he was leading.

2020: Active role in presidential campaign and leave of absence from NOVA

In 2020, Jill Biden played a more active role in her husband's presidential campaign, taking a leave of absence from NOVA and training in online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She expressed her intention to resume teaching even if her husband was elected.

2020: Involvement in vice-presidential selection process and Democratic National Convention speech

In 2020, Jill Biden was heavily involved in the vice-presidential selection process that resulted in Kamala Harris being chosen. She spoke at the Democratic National Convention from her former high school classroom, drawing parallels between family suffering and the plight of the country.

2020: Jill Biden Might Just Be Joe Biden's Greatest Political Asset

In 2020, a Town and Country magazine headline declared that "Jill Biden Might Just Be Joe Biden's Greatest Political Asset".

2020: Decision-making process for presidential election

Jill Biden was a key participant in her husband's decision-making process regarding the possibility of him running in the 2020 United States presidential election.

January 20, 2021: Husband takes office as president; Jill Biden becomes First Lady

On January 20, 2021, Jill Biden's husband was elected president and took office, making her the First Lady of the United States. She is the oldest first lady to assume the role and the first Italian American first lady.

July 2021: First Solo Trip Abroad as First Lady

In July 2021, Jill Biden visited Tokyo in her first solo trip abroad as the first lady. There, she met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Emperor Naruhito, visited American athletes at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, and attended the Olympics opening ceremony.

September 2021: Return to In-Person Teaching at NOVA

In September 2021, Jill Biden returned to in-person teaching at NOVA, exemplifying the Biden administration's desire to get students and teachers back to physical schools after remote learning during the pandemic.

September 2021: Joining Forces Interagency Policy Committee Launched

In September 2021, the Office of the First Lady joined the U.S. National Security Council in launching the Joining Forces Interagency Policy Committee to secure proposals across the federal government to support military families.

October 2021: Campaigning for Terry McAuliffe

In October 2021, Jill Biden visited Virginia to deliver "last-minute stump" speeches for the Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe, in his race against Glenn Youngkin.

November 2021: Joining Forces Launches Hidden Helpers Coalition

In November 2021, the Joining Forces program joined the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project in launching the Hidden Helpers Coalition. This initiative aims to create supportive programming for children of wounded, ill, or injured service members or veterans.

2021: Jill Biden Becomes First Lady

In 2021, Jill Biden became the First Lady of the United States upon her husband, Joe Biden, becoming President.

May 2022: Visit to Ukraine and Neighboring Countries

In May 2022, Jill Biden made a trip to Romania and Slovakia, visiting with Ukrainian refugees. She made an unannounced trip across the Slovakia–Ukraine border to Uzhhorod, Ukraine, where she met with displaced Ukrainian schoolchildren and Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska. It was the first visit to a war zone by a U.S. first lady without her husband since Laura Bush went to Afghanistan in 2008.

October 2022: Visited 40 U.S. States as First Lady

By October 2022, Jill Biden had visited 40 U.S. states as first lady, outpacing the number of states that her husband visited during his presidency.

February 2023: First Lady's Visit to Africa

In February 2023, Jill Biden made her initial visit to Africa as first lady, traveling to Namibia and Kenya. In Windhoek, she delivered a speech on democracy and women's empowerment. While in Kenya's Kajiado County, she witnessed the effects of the ongoing 2020–2023 Horn of Africa Drought.

March 2023: Women's History Month Event

In March 2023, Jill Biden hosted a Women's History Month event, calling on men to step up and fight to protect women's rights. She also co-hosted the International Women of Courage Award ceremony.

May 2023: Traveled more than the Vice President or Second Gentleman

By May 2023, Jill Biden had traveled more than her husband, the Vice President, or the Second Gentleman.

May 2023: Attended Coronation of Charles III

In May 2023, Jill Biden and her step-granddaughter, Finnegan, represented the American government at the coronation of Charles III and Camilla, making her the first first lady to ever attend a British coronation.

June 2023: Attended Wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan

In June 2023, Jill Biden and her daughter Ashley attended the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif. In the same month, she visited Egypt, Morocco and Portugal to highlight her advocacy for youth empowerment and arts.

July 2023: Visited Paris to Mark US Return to UNESCO

In July 2023, Jill Biden visited Paris to give a speech to mark the official return of the United States to UNESCO.

October 2023: Girls Leading Change Celebration

In October 2023, Jill Biden, along with the White House Gender Policy Council, hosted the first-ever “Girls Leading Change” celebration to recognize the impact young women are having on their communities.

February 2024: White House Initiative on Women's Health Research Announced

In February 2024, Jill Biden announced the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, a $100 million federal funding for research and development into women's health.

July 2024: Led American delegation at 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris

In July 2024, Jill Biden led the American delegation at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. She also visited American athletes at an Olympic training center in Paris.

October 2024: Led American delegation to inauguration of Claudia Sheinbaum

In October 2024, Jill Biden led the American delegation to the inauguration of Claudia Sheinbaum as president of Mexico.

October 2024: Unveiling the Upgrade of the White House Public Tour

In October 2024, Jill Biden unveiled the upgrade of the White House public tour. The new tour featured digital elements, historical context and insights into the lives of previous presidents and their families.

December 2024: Conducted final foreign trip as First Lady

In December 2024, Jill Biden conducted her final foreign trip as First Lady, visiting Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and France. In Italy, she visited US military personnel in Catania. In the United Arab Emirates, she toured the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and attended the Milken Institute's Middle East and Africa Summit. In Qatar, Biden visited the Qatar Foundation and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar. After visiting Qatar, Biden and her daughter Ashley attended the reopening ceremony of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.