First Lady Jill Biden has announced the end of her 15-year tenure as an English and writing professor at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). The announcement came during a virtual appreciation event for educators, where she stated, “Last Thursday, I taught my last class of the semester and my final class ever at Northern Virginia Community College.”
Biden’s teaching career spans over four decades, beginning in 1976 at a high school in Wilmington, Delaware. She later taught at Delaware Technical Community College before joining NOVA in 2009. Notably, she continued teaching full-time while serving as First Lady, becoming the first presidential spouse to maintain a professional career outside the White House.
Anne Kress, president of NOVA, praised Biden as an “exceptional faculty member” who left a lasting impact on her students and colleagues. “She has been a remarkable, unequaled champion for America’s community colleges,” Kress said in a statement.
While it remains unclear whether Biden, 73, plans to retire from teaching entirely, her departure from NOVA coincides with the end of President Joe Biden’s term in office. As they prepare to leave the White House, Jill Biden’s contributions to education and her advocacy for community colleges continue to be recognized and celebrated.