The Transformation Of Sasha Obama From 3 Months To 21 Years Old

It shook the world when former president Barack Obama made history as the first Black president of the United States in 2009. During his two terms in office, his family welcomed the public with open arms, as their personalities shone through time after time. Aside from politics, what stands out about the Obama family most is how much they value family and humility, especially with raising daughters Malia and Sasha Obama.

When the public was first introduced to Malia and Sasha in 2009, the two were 10 and 7 years old respectively, per Time. Growing up in the public eye isn't the easiest task when you're the president's daughter, considering the increased amount of protection you have. However, the Obama daughters' unconventional life hasn't stopped them from being relatable to young adults.

Both Malia and Sasha are no longer little girls anymore. The two are creating paths for themselves outside of their father's shadow. Just like her older sister, Sasha's hot girl college life has often become the topic of recent headlines. Here's a look at the stunning transformation of Sasha Obama from 3 months to 21 years old.

We imagine that Barack Obama's time in office was stressful — running an entire country for eight years doesn't seem like a walk in the park. However, he says there was no one event harder to deal with in his life than Sasha Obama's childhood health scare. In a 2012 campaign video, Barack recalled his youngest daughter's illness. "People ask me what was the hardest time in my life — they ask, well what about during the debt ceiling debate and this and that and the other thing," he said, according to Politico. "Sasha got meningitis when she was 3 months old. I still remember going to the hospital together and they had to give her a spinal tap."

Meningitis is a life-threatening condition involving the swelling of the positive membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, per the CDC. Barack continued, "Your world narrows to this very small point," describing how it felt in the moment. "There's one thing you care about and you don't care about anything else."

For former first lady Michelle Obama, the moment helped her realize the importance of health insurance. "I just can't put into words how important it is for every American, for every mother, for every person in this country to have health care," she said in 2013, according to Atlanta Black Star. "Because you just never know what kind of curve balls life is going to throw you." Fortunately, Sasha has since recovered from her meningitis scare.

As mentioned, Sasha Obama was 7 years old when her father became the 44th president of the United States. As one can imagine, transitioning from a home in Chicago to a 135-room mansion might be hard for a child to get used to. However, Michelle Obama wanted to make the experience of living in the White House as normal as possible for Sasha and Malia. During the September 2020 season finale of "The Michelle Obama Podcast," Michelle opened up about raising her two girls during Barack's presidency.

"One of the things that I had to learn how to negotiate was creating these boundaries with my kids in the White House," Michelle recalled. "I mean, you talk about being raised in a totally different world than I ever knew? It's like, pluckin' these little girls out of our normal life on the South Side of Chicago with Craig, and mom, and our way of doing things, and our community, and then, putting them in a historic mansion with butlers and maids, and florists, and gardeners, and Secret service, and then trying to make sure that they understood boundaries, understood responsibility."

Sasha lived a pretty normal life while living in the White House. She had assigned chores, despite having White House workers doing it for her. For Barack and Michelle, it was important for them to provide a "normal" upbringing for their daughters.

Being the president's daughter comes with special treatment, but clearly not by your parents. Sasha and Malia Obama were expected by their parents to be responsible. Much like any other teen who's fresh out of school for summer vacation, Sasha spent her 2016 summer working a job. Believe it or not, she may have taken your order one day as a takeout cashier at Nancy's, a seafood restaurant on the island of Martha's Vineyard.

As reported by the Boston Herald, a then-15-year-old Sasha worked the takeout window at the time under her birth name, Natasha. Per the publication, Sasha reportedly worked early four-hour shifts before the restaurant's opening. "She's been working downstairs at takeout," a server at the busy island restaurant recalled. "We were wondering why there were six people helping this girl, but then we found out who it was." Sounds pretty normal, right?

As expected, Sasha Obama has some pretty famous friends in her circle who understand the pressures of growing up in the public eye. One of her best friends is Maisy Biden, President Joe Biden's granddaughter. Per the Chicago Tribune, Obama and Maisy played basketball together and have a mutual love for soccer. Aside from their families' political involvement with one another, the two attended Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. together. The two even traveled to Miami in 2017, according to Us Weekly.

Additionally, Obama is friends with another well-known young celeb, Skylar Jordan, who was seen at the former's sweet 16 celebration, as reported by AOL. Skylar's mother, Charrisse Jackson Jordan, is an OG cast member of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Potomac." Charrisse spoke of her daughter's friendship with Obama, sharing with Bravo, "Skylar and Sasha [Obama] are friends. They go to lunch. Secret Service is out there standing outside while Skylar and Sasha's having lunch."

Since graduating from Sidwell Friends School in June 2019, Sasha Obama quietly enrolled as a student at the University of Michigan. Although her transition to college surely had its atypical experiences, Obama continues to have a typical college life (sans the pandemic). In October 2020, she made headlines after an unnamed friend posted a since-deleted TikTok video of the two dancing and lip-syncing to Moneybagg Yo's "Said Sum (Remix)" featuring the City Girls. In the video, Obama is seen reciting the lyrics, "All these n****s wanna f**k JT / Hellcat, this a SRT," causing a bizarre uproar among critics, while others came to her defense, per the Daily Mail.

Obama made headlines again in December 2020 after MEFeater Magazine's Twitter account shared a photo of a woman who seemingly resembled her. In the photo in question, the woman is wearing a crop top that reveals a rib tattoo and bikini bottoms. The photo sparked debate about whether or not it was the former first daughter based on the matching necklaces appearing similar to the ones she wore from the deleted TikTok. In the meantime, celebrities such as Meena Harris and Jameela Jamil have come to Obama's defense about the headlines.

Although the public seemingly hasn't gotten used to Obama showing more personality, people fail to remember that she's all grown up now and has adopted her own individual style.

When we were first introduced to Sasha Obama in 2009, she was just a little girl who walked alongside her parents in dresses and skirts. These days, however, the 21-year-old's personal style is evolving and one word sums it up best — eclectic. A far cry from her time in the White House, Obama has, in recent years, settled for a more casual, informal style which we saw a lot of in 2022, as reported by Hola!

On one occasion, the youngest Obama sported a white t-shirt, a multi-colored sweater, and denim overalls. To finish off the look, she opted for a colorful pair of sneakers and tote bag, while keeping accessories minimal. When she's not dressed in the customary Gen-Z attire, Obama isn't afraid to go Bohemian. In photos published by the Daily Mail in 2022, Obama was seen wearing a maxi boho skirt and a crop top, showing off her toned belly. However, Obama's style isn't the only thing that has evolved with time, as she has seemingly developed a strong sense of self.

Going against her mother's initial reservations about tattoos, Sasha was seen sporting a hot air balloon, inked at the back of her arm, in October 2022. A few months later, Michelle Obama admitted she had, in fact, changed her stance on tattoos. "Most kids who are wearing tattoos and piercings, [or] they've got long nails — their value system is about individuality," she said on the "The Kelly Clarkson Show."

After a few semesters at the University of Michigan, Sasha Obama transferred to the University of Southern California to study psychology. Unsurprisingly, Sasha moved to Los Angeles, where she shared an apartment with her older sister, Malia Obama. "So I just said, 'Okay, well that's interesting that you guys are going to try living together," proud mom Michelle Obama told People of their move to L.A. "We'll see how it goes. But yeah, it feels good to know that the two girls you raised find solace at a kitchen table with one another. It's like the one thing you want for them."

Now, Sasha and Malia are not only living together, but the sisters have also gradually warmed up to adult responsibilities. In her book, "The Light We Carry," Michelle described how Malia and Sasha live within their means, often thrifting items and shopping from affordable stores. And in perhaps their most grown-up move yet, the Obama sisters reportedly once hosted their parents in their home. "We were going to take them to dinner and they said, 'Why don't you come over to our spot for cocktails!'" Michelle recalled during an appearance on "Today." "And we were like, 'Okay, let's see what this is going to be like.'" A fun moment no doubt, except according to the former first lady, the martinis they were served were not so great. "I don't think they really knew what it was," she added.

During an April 2022 appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Michelle Obama revealed Sasha Obama was in a relationship. "They loved the Jonas Brothers. Now they are bringing grown men home. Before it was just, like, pop bands. Now they have boyfriends and real lives," the former first lady said of her daughters. A few days later, the Daily Mail confirmed that the youngest Obama was dating Clifton Powell Jr., son of Hollywood actor Clifton Powell. According to the outlet, Sasha met Powell Jr. shortly after her move to L.A. and soon struck up a romantic relationship. A former college basketball player, Powell Jr., like his father has his eyes set on a creative career. As of April 2022, the Daily Mail reported that the 25-year-old worked as commercial director for fashion brand Nike and fitness company Peloton.

But even though Powell Jr. isn't on the same exact path as his father, he can still rely on the actor for solid advice. Speaking on his son's relationship with Sasha, Powell Sr. gave his stamp of approval to the young lovebirds, while sharing some of the relationship advice he gave his son. "So, it has helped me talk to Chris about how to handle Sasha Obama because we love the Obamas, but Mr. Obama has a daughter that's dating my son, and I have an opportunity and a responsibility, to make my son responsible, gentle, kind, loving, and supportive. The things that I did not get taught," he told the "Dear Fathers" podcast.

Barack Obama might have been the most powerful leader in the world, but to Sasha Obama, he was simply dad. And that meant they did not always get along. Speaking on the "We Can Do Hard Things" podcast, Michelle Obama opened up about her daughters' relationship with their father. While Malia Obama reportedly always got along fine with Barack Obama, the same cannot be said for Sasha. 

"Sasha's totally like, 'Don't touch me. Don't look my way. I don't need to please you. You're annoying,'" Michelle recounted. "He got a lot of that and he was stunned. And I would tell him, she's gonna come around." We might have to call the former first lady a seer because truly, as she predicted, Barack and Sasha's relationship improved, and now, things simply couldn't be better. "They just go off the phone last night. She called him looking for advice. It just took her longer," the former first lady explained.

But, Sasha's relationship with Barack isn't the only thing that's improved, as she has also seemingly gotten closer to her sister. "I think they become even closer now that they're out on the other side. But yeah, it makes me feel really, really good. Not just that they're living together, but they're thriving together — and they're thriving on their own as individual young women," Michelle explained to People.