The First Lady of the United States Jill Biden, known as “Dr. B,” is beloved by her English students at Northern Virginia Community College. Traditionally, the President’s spouse would give up their prior career for the duration of the presidency. As an advocate for community college education across the country, Dr. Jill Biden has made the historic decision to continue her profession as an English professor, while also fulfilling her duties as the First Lady of The United States.

The decision has been praised as not only been a valiant effort by a pioneer of education, but also a feminist gesture to break through the glass ceiling of her position’s expectations. Dr. Jill Biden has also received criticism for averting from tradition by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which denounced her use of the title “Dr.,” and additional calls for her to focus on the responsibilities that being the First Lady entails. The WSJ piece sparked outrage in the media, and has been condemned by not only Dr. Biden, but President Biden, as well as Former First Lady Michelle Obama. In a tweet, Dr. Biden said, “Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished.”

At Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), Jill Biden led many leadership programs as well as her general classes at the Alexandria campus. NOVA alumni Nazila Jamshidi commended Dr. Biden on her vigor in Business Insider, “I saw firsthand how Dr. Biden’s dedication and passion for education comes alive at NOVA.” She explained that Biden’s students hold her in high regard and value her immense knowledge.

Northern Virginia Community College is an integral part of the application process for South Lakes High School students. The citadel of education provides dual enrollment classes spanning across all Fairfax County High Schools. Students willing to exceed the standard high school curriculum may choose to complete such a program. NOVA is one of the schools most commonly attended by South Lakes Students, and many Seahawks choose to take NOVA courses prior to their graduation from high school.

Dr. Biden is the first presidential spouse to balance East Wing duties with a day job, let alone one where they spend time molding the minds of future leaders.