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 was the First Lady of the United States from 2021 to 2025, as the wife of President Joe Biden. Prior to this, she served as the Second Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 during her husband's vice presidency. A lifelong educator, Biden has taught English at Northern Virginia Community College since 2009, balancing her professional career with her public role.
1975: Graduation and Career Beginnings
In 1975, Jill Biden graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Delaware. She began her career as a substitute teacher in Wilmington and then taught high school English full-time at St. Mark's High School in Wilmington. She also spent five months working in Joe Biden's Senate office.
1987: Master of Arts in English
In 1987, Jill Biden received her second graduate degree, a Master of Arts in English from Villanova University.
1988: Support During Presidential Bid
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 the First Lady.
1993: Instructor at Delaware Technical & Community College
From 1993, Jill Biden was an English instructor at the Stanton campus of Delaware Technical & Community College. She taught English composition and remedial writing, focusing on building students' confidence. She taught at the college until 2008.
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 to schools and groups in Delaware.
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. Her dissertation, Student Retention at the Community College: Meeting Students' Needs, was published under the name Jill Jacobs-Biden.
2007: Co-founded Book Buddies
In 2007, Jill Biden helped found Book Buddies, an organization that provides books for low-income children.
2008: Campaigning for Vice President
In 2008, after her husband was selected as Barack Obama's running mate, Jill Biden campaigned alongside him. She wore a Blue Star Mothers Club pin in recognition of Beau Biden's deployment to Iraq and continued teaching at Delaware Technical & Community College during the fall semester, grading papers on the campaign bus.
2008: Campaigning for the 2008 election
In 2008, during Joe Biden's unsuccessful campaign to be the Democratic presidential nominee, Jill Biden continued teaching during the week and campaigned on weekends. She said education would be her chief focus as a potential first lady.
2008: End of teaching role at Delaware Technical & Community College
Jill Biden ended her role as an English instructor at the Stanton campus of Delaware Technical & Community College in 2008.
January 2009: Started teaching at Northern Virginia Community College
In January 2009, after becoming the Second Lady of the United States, Jill Biden began teaching English courses at the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) as an adjunct professor. She is believed to have been the first Second Lady to hold a paying job while her husband was Vice President. She was referred to as "Dr. Jill Biden".
May 2009: Obama announced that Biden would be in charge of an initiative to raise awareness about the value of community colleges
In May 2009, President Obama announced that Jill Biden would lead an initiative to raise awareness about the value of community colleges.
2009: Received full-time faculty appointment at NOVA
In Fall 2009, Jill Biden received a two-year appointment as a full-time faculty member at NOVA.
January 2010: Commencement speech at the University of Delaware
In January 2010, Jill Biden gave the commencement speech at the University of Delaware's winter commencement. It was her first such address at a major university.
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 Initiative
In April 2011, Jill Biden and Michelle Obama co-founded Joining Forces, a national initiative to support U.S. military families.
September 2011: Supported USAID's FWD campaign
In September 2011, Jill Biden lent her support to USAID's FWD campaign, which aimed to raise awareness about the famine, war, and drought affecting over 13 million people in the Horn of Africa.
2011: Permanent position as an associate professor at NOVA
In Fall 2011, Jill Biden was given a permanent position as an associate professor at NOVA, teaching three English and writing composition courses two days per week.
February 2012: "Community College to Career" bus tour
In February 2012, Jill Biden and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis staged a "Community College to Career" bus tour to showcase alliances between community colleges and local and regional businesses.
November 6, 2012: Re-election of Obama and Joe Biden
On November 6, 2012, Barack Obama and 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 where her husband was running for re-election as vice president, Jill Biden played a modest role by maintaining her teaching schedule and limiting solo campaign appearances due to her distaste for politics and public speaking.
January 2013: Start of Second Term as Second Lady
In January 2013, following the re-election of Obama and her husband, Jill Biden began her second term as Second Lady, continuing her support for military personnel.
2014: Campaigning in the 2014 U.S. Midterm Congressional Elections
During the 2014 U.S. midterm Congressional elections, Jill Biden campaigned for several Democrats, including Mark Udall in Colorado and Michelle Nunn in Georgia.
2015: Teaching a full load at NOVA in Fall 2015
During the Fall 2015 semester, Jill Biden continued to teach a full load of five classes at NOVA.
March 2016: Welcoming Scott Kelly Back to Earth
In March 2016, Jill Biden headed the official party that welcomed American astronaut Scott Kelly back to Earth from his almost full year in space.
February 2017: Launch of the Biden Foundation and Named Board Chair of Save the Children
In February 2017, Jill and Joe Biden launched the Biden Foundation to focus on preventing violence against women, his moonshot initiative, community colleges, and military families. That same month, Jill was named board chair of Save the Children.
May 2017: Keynote Address at Milwaukee Area Technical College
In May 2017, Jill Biden gave 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 tenure as Second Lady of the United States came to an end when her husband's term as Vice President 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 that they can achieve anything.
February 2019: Speech to Newport News Apprentice School Graduates
In February 2019, Jill Biden spoke to the graduating class of the Newport News Apprentice School, acknowledging their complicated life situations and responsibilities.
March 2019: Enthusiastic Support for Joe Biden's Presidential Run
In March 2019, it was reported that Jill Biden was "enthusiastically" in favor of her husband Joe Biden running in the 2020 United States presidential election and was a key participant in his decision-making process.
April 25, 2019: Official Announcement of Joe Biden's 2020 Presidential Campaign
On April 25, 2019, the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign was officially announced, with Jill Biden being seen as a significant political asset.
May 2019: Publication of Memoir "Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself"
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, and she participated in book signings to promote it.
2019: Increased Income and Charitable Giving
By 2019, Jill and Joe Biden reported approximately $15 million in income since leaving the vice presidency, including $700,000 from Jill's speaking engagements. They also substantially increased their charitable giving.
2019: Campaigning and Teaching at NOVA
In 2019, Jill Biden continued to teach at NOVA and emphasized electability in favor of her husband during campaign stops, sometimes accompanied by a granddaughter.
June 2020: Publication of Children's Book "Joey: The Story of Joe Biden"
In June 2020, Jill Biden published the children's book "Joey: The Story of Joe Biden", portraying her husband as brave and adventurous despite childhood bullying for his stutter.
July 2020: Criticism of Betsy DeVos and Emphasis on Science-Based Education Strategy
In July 2020, Jill Biden spoke out about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, criticized U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos for political motivations, and emphasized the need for a clear, science-based education strategy.
November 2020: Appointment of Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor
In mid-November 2020, it was announced that Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón would be Jill Biden's chief of staff and Anthony Bernal would be her senior advisor as First Lady.
2020: Cancer Moonshot 2020 Listening tour
During 2016, Jill Biden was present with her husband on a listening tour for Cancer Moonshot 2020, an effort he was leading.
2020: Leave of Absence from NOVA and Training in Online Teaching
In 2020, Jill Biden took a leave of absence from NOVA for the spring semester to campaign full-time and received training in online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic, intending to resume teaching even if her husband was elected.
2020: Involvement in Joe Biden's Decision to Run for President
In 2020, Jill Biden was a key participant in Joe Biden's decision-making process to run for president of the United States.
2020: Involvement in Vice-Presidential Selection and Speech at Democratic National Convention
In 2020, Jill Biden was heavily involved in the vice-presidential selection process that led to Kamala Harris being chosen. She spoke at the Democratic National Convention, drawing parallels between family suffering and the plight of the country.
2020: Joe Biden's Greatest Political Asset
In 2020, Town and Country magazine declared that "Jill Biden Might Just Be Joe Biden's Greatest Political Asset".
January 20, 2021: Inauguration as First Lady
On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden was inaugurated as president, making Jill Biden the First Lady of the United States. At 69, she was the oldest first lady to assume the role.
September 2021: Return to In-Person Teaching at NOVA
In September 2021, Jill Biden returned to in-person teaching at NOVA (Northern Virginia Community College). This return exemplified the Biden administration's desire to get students and teachers back to physical schools after remote learning. Security for her classes was increased, and she maintained her reputation as a tough grader.
September 2021: Joining Forces Interagency Policy Committee Launch
In September 2021, the Office of the First Lady joined the U.S. National Security Council in launching the Joining Forces Interagency Policy Committee. This committee was formed to secure proposals across the federal government aimed at supporting military families, continuing the work of the Joining Forces program.
October 2021: Stump Speeches 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, along with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project, launched the Hidden Helpers Coalition. This initiative is designed to create supportive programming for children of wounded, ill, or injured service members or veterans.
2021: First Lady of the United States
In 2021, Jill Biden became the First Lady of the United States upon her husband, Joe Biden, becoming President.
February 2022: Acknowledging the Dropping of Free Community College Tuition
In February 2022, during an appearance before the Community College National Legislative Summit, Jill Biden publicly acknowledged that the free community college tuition item had been dropped from the Build Back Better Act. She expressed her disappointment, emphasizing the importance of these initiatives.
May 2022: Visit to Ukraine and Neighboring Countries
In May 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Jill Biden traveled to Romania and Slovakia, visiting Ukrainian refugees and aid workers. 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. Biden stated that the U.S. stands with the people of Ukraine. It was the first visit to a war zone by a U.S. First Lady without her husband since 2008.
February 2023: First Lady's Visit to Namibia and Kenya
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: Hosts Women's History Month Event
In March 2023, Jill Biden hosted a Women's History Month event. During the event, she called on men to step up and fight to protect women's rights, promoting gender equity and equality.
July 2023: Visit to Paris for 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: Hosts "Girls Leading Change" Celebration
In October 2023, in honor of the International Day of the Girl Child, Jill Biden, along with the White House Gender Policy Council, hosted the first-ever "Girls Leading Change" celebration to recognize the profound impact young women are having on their communities across the United States.
February 2024: Announces White House Initiative on Women's Health Research
In February 2024, Jill Biden announced the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, which provides $100 million in federal funding for research and development into women's health. The initiative is led by the First Lady and the White House Gender Policy Council, with funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
July 2024: Led American delegation at 2024 Summer Olympic Games
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 upgraded White House public tour. The new tour featured digital elements, historical context and insights into the lives of previous presidents and their families. The tourists also had a greater access to the White House rooms that were previously closed to the public. The tour also accommodates blind tourists.
December 2024: Conducted final foreign trip as First Lady
In December 2024, Jill Biden conducted her final foreign trip as First Lady. She visited Italy, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and France, focusing on supporting US military personnel, health initiatives, education, and international cooperation.
2025: End of First Lady term
In 2025, Jill Biden's term as First Lady of the United States came to an end when her husband's term as President concluded.
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