Sasha Obama is all grown up. On June 10, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama‘s youngest daughter celebrated her 22nd birthday with a little help from her proud parents. Both of the Obamas shared emotional tributes to their youngest, featuring sweet throwback photos on their respective Instagrams.
Barack kicked things off by sharing a photo of him holding Sasha in his arms when she was a little girl. “Where does the time go?” he captioned his post. “Happy birthday, Sasha! It’s been the greatest gift to watch you become such a confident, intelligent, and beautiful young woman. Can’t wait to see what this year ahead brings you.”
Meanwhile, Michelle shared a pic of a tiny Sasha sitting in her lap with her head thrown back as she laughed. “Happy birthday to my baby girl! Sasha, you bring so much light and joy to our lives—always have, always will. I’m so excited to see what this new year will bring you. Love you so much! 💕,” she wrote.
This year is shaping up to be a big one for Sasha. In addition to turning 22, she also graduated from the University of Southern California in May. Her parents and big sister, Malia, were all in attendance at the ceremony, per The Los Angeles Times.
After spending years in the spotlight as the first daughters, Sasha and Malia tend to keep a lower profile these days. But just because they’re not in the public eye as much doesn’t mean they’re not leading exciting lives. On the first episode of her “In the Light” podcast, Michelle shared how it feels to be “on the other side of parenting” now that her daughters are adults.
“I’m moving from mom-in-chief to advisor-in-chief,” she told her guest, “Today” show host Hoda Kotb. “That’s a lovely thing — to be able to watch my girls fly and have the relief that ‘OK, I think I didn’t mess them up.'”