Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton

Big Dreams From the time she was a girl, Hillary Rodham had big goals. When she was thirteen, she wrote to NASA and asked what she needed to do to become an astronaut. NASA wrote her back and said there would not be any female astronauts. The news discouraged her at first. It also made her want to follow her dreams--no matter what. Attitudes in America were changing. Hillary Rodham was one of the people who helped change them, especially for women. She has achieved many firsts in her life and career. In 2016, she became the first woman to run for president on behalf of a major U. S. political party.

Hillary Rodham was born in 1947 and grew up near Chicago, Illinois. She was the oldest of Hugh and Dorothy Rodham's three children. Hillary became a top student. She won awards as a Girl Scout. She also worked on the newspaper and student council at her high school. Hillary grew up at a time when many Americans believed that only men should be firefighters, soldiers, and politicians. Men were supposed to earn money and be the head of the household in most families. Women were often expected to stay home and care for children.

Hillary's father was a conservative man who believed many of these ideas. At the same time, he saw that his daughter was very smart. He wanted her to fulfill her dreams. Her mother knew Hillary would have to be brave and tough to compete in a man's world. " You have to stand up for yourself, " she told her daughter. In 1965, Hillary went to Wellesley, a college in Massachusetts. She studied political science. The more she learned, the more she believed that the rights of women, African Americans, and other groups needed more protection. After graduating, she was accepted at Yale Law School.

Lawyer, Wife, and Mother In 1971, Rodham met someone special in the Yale law library. A young man with bushy hair kept looking at her. She walked up to him and introduced herself. He was surprised by her confidence. His name was Bill Clinton, and he would one day be elected president of the United States. Clinton and Rodham started dating. She noted that he was one man who did not seem scared off by her intelligence and strong opinions.

Both Rodham and Clinton had big dreams. She planned to work in Washington, D. C. , after earning her law degree. Clinton wanted to go back to his home state of Arkansas and go into politics. Clinton asked Rodham to marry him three times. Twice she said no. She was just starting out as a lawyer and wanted to build her career. In the end, she changed her mind. She moved to Arkansas, and the two were married in 1975.