Former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama offered me, an African-American woman, optimism for a better future. Over the course of the past eight years, I have admired the Obamas from afar, watching with mesmerized eyes as Obama changed the world as I knew it.

I remember in the fourth grade the exact moment when Obama became president. I stayed awake past my bedtime with my mom and older brother, my eyes glued to the television screen to see the results of the election. When the results came in, I could not believe my ears when they said Obama’s name. He had won the presidential race. A black man had won. Being in fourth grade, I was too young to understand what that meant — race had not become something I had to worry about yet.

In January, my teacher told my class that we were going to watch the inauguration, which I had no idea what that was. I decided it sounded boring so I went on talking to my friends, but when the projector turned on and Obama’s face illuminated the projector screen, I recognized that face. It was our new president. From beginning to end, I could not keep my eyes off of the screen. History was in the making and I was right there to witness it.

I am a fan of Obama, not only because he is African-American, but because I do believe he has done great things for this country during his time in office. By creating ObamaCare, an affordable health insurance for uninsured American families, he provided low-income families with an opportunity to obtain health insurance that they could afford.

While I do not have ObamaCare, I think that it is a good plan to help families who do not have access to affordable insurance. According to ObamaCare Facts, the uninsured rate was at a record low of 8.6% at the beginning of 2016. Although the plan was not perfect, it showed that Obama had the interests of the lower class in mind and that he cared for their needs.

Knowing that he cared about the interests of the different social classes made me feel safe, if my family ever needed ObamaCare we would have the access to it, thanks to Obama.

I also happen to be a huge supporter of Michelle Obama, a spokesperson for women’s rights and living a healthy lifestyle. Students were always quick to say, “Thanks a lot Michelle Obama. We can’t have pop machines and regular chips in our vending machines anymore,” but it is not such a bad thing.

Obesity is a common American stereotype and over the years more children have started to become obese. According to Medscape, approximately 21 to 24 percent of American children and adolescents are overweight, predisposing them to a variety of dangerous diseases.

To help combat this problem, Michelle Obama led initiatives to cut out junk food and pop from vending machines at schools around the country. While I am not a huge fan of the Whole Grain Pop-Tarts or baked cheetos in the vending machine, at least I know they are better for my health in the long run.

Michelle continues to inspire me with her poise and intelligence. Before becoming the first lady, Michelle was a lawyer with a degree from Princeton University and Harvard Law School, which I find impressive because I never thought about life after college.

My conception had always been one graduates and then acquires a job, but Michelle showed me that other options like graduate school and law school can expand one’s knowledge even more. In her last speech as first lady she said  ”To the young people out there, this country belongs to you.” This really resonated with me because I have a place in this world, the color of my skin is irrelevant, this is my home and I have a place here.

Barack and Michelle Obama are role models to young and old, African-Americans and Whites, and others in the United States. They are humble and never failed to show how much they cared. I have learned so much from both of them over the years and I am grateful to have had the chance to get to know the first family and see everything Obama has accomplished.

I will be able to tell my children and grandchildren I grew up with the first African-American president of the United States. I will never forget the impact he has had on my generation and the ones to come.

Thank you Barack and Michelle Obama, you both will be greatly missed.