WE Celebrate: Jill Biden-First Lady

Jill Biden, Ed.D., is the First Lady of the United States, a community college educator, and a former public school teacher. In 1976, Jill Biden began teaching English at St. Mark’s High School in Wilmington. She then became a reading specialist at Claymont High School. At that time, she was also pursuing a Master of Education with a specialty in reading from West Chester University. She completed her first master’s degree in 1981. In 1975, she met then-Senator Joe Biden. They married at the United Nations Chapel in New York City in 1977 and she became the mother of his two sons, Beau and Hunter. Their daughter, Ashley, was born in 1981. Jill Biden taught English at Rockford Center psychiatric hospital while also pursuing a Master of Arts in English from Villanova University. In 1993, she accepted a job at Delaware Technical Community College. In 2007, she received a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. When Joe Biden became Vice President and the Bidens moved to Washington, DC, Dr. Biden continued her career at Northern Virginia Community College, teaching throughout their eight years in office. A bestselling author, Dr. Biden also served as Second Lady of the United States from 2009–2017. As First Lady, Dr. Biden continues her work for education, military families, and fighting cancer. She is a professor of writing at Northern Virginia Community College.