First Lady Jill Biden has announced that she taught her final class at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), marking the end of her 15-year tenure there and a teaching career that spanned around 40 years. During a virtual event honoring educators, she reflected, “Being your First Lady has been the honor of my life. But being your colleague has been the work of my life.”

Throughout her time at NOVA, Jill Biden taught English and writing full-time—making history as the first First Lady to hold a full-time job outside the White House while serving.  Prior to NOVA, her teaching career included high school and community-college positions, beginning in 1976. While she confirmed her final class at NOVA, she did not clarify whether she is retiring entirely from teaching.

Administrators praised her longstanding contributions: NOVA President Anne Kress called her “an exceptional faculty member” whose dedication will leave a lasting legacy for community colleges. Jill Biden’s commitment to teaching served as a real-world testament to the value of educators, reinforcing her view that “teaching isn’t what I do, it’s who I am.”

In summary, Jill Biden’s decision to step away from her classroom role at NOVA closes a significant chapter in her career and underscores her lifelong dedication to education. It highlights her dual identity as both First Lady and working educator—setting a distinctive precedent in public life and leaving a clear message about valuing teaching and learners alike.