Convention 2008 Siblings of Barack and Michelle Obama to Speak Tonight Monday Night's Program to Feature Maya Soetoro-Ng, Barack Obama's Sister, Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama's Brother Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama's brother, and Maya Soetoro-Ng, Barack Obama's sister, will both be featured speakers in tonight's program at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Brief bios are listed below.
Maya Soetoro-Ng
Barack Obama's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, has a long and rich background in culture and education. She was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and later moved with her family to Honolulu, Hawaii where she attended the Punahou School. She attended Barnard College of Columbia, University of Hawaii, and received a Masters degree in Secondary Education from NYU's College of Education. From 1996 to 2000 she taught and developed curriculum for The Learning Project, an alternative public middle school on Manhattan's lower east side. After moving back to Hawaii, Maya resumed her own educational pursuits and in 2006 completed her PHD in International Comparative Education. She is currently a High School teacher at La Pietra, a school for girls, where she teaches World Cultures and US History and the Constitution. Maya is also a lecturer at University of Hawaii's College of Education where she teaches multi-cultural education and the history of education. She currently resides in Honolulu, Hawaii with her husband Konrad, and daughter Suhaila, age 3. Craig Robinson Craig Robinson has had two lifelong loves: his family and basketball. Growing up, Craig was a star player for his high school team. His parents and sister were his biggest fans. "We spent every Saturday on a basketball court somewhere, watching my brother play," Michelle says. He went to Princeton, where he became one of the best basketball players in the history of the university and the first two-time Ivy League basketball player of the year. After graduating in 1983, Craig was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers and played two seasons professionally in England. But when he returned to the United States, he started down a new path. He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and spent seven years as a vice president for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. Craig later returned to sports and spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Northwestern. Then he spent two seasons as the head coach at Brown. This spring, he was named the head basketball
coach at Oregon State. His basketball career has come full circle. "Every day, I'm doing something I love," he says. For Craig, basketball also helped him get to know his future brother-in-law. "Our father used to say that you can tell a guy's personality on the basketball court," Craig says. "So when Barack was dating my sister, he and I played a few games. I went back and told Michelle, 'This guy's terrific.' I was right." Craig, his wife Kelly, and their kids Avery, 16, and Leslie, 12, live in their new home in Oregon. And they have joined Barack, Michelle, Malia, and Sasha on the campaign trail for events in Oregon, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Craig has headlined several campaign events for his brother-in-law as well.
"This campaign," he says, "is the ultimate team assignment." About the DNCC:
The 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee is the official arm of the Democratic National Committee responsible for planning and organizing the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. Paid for by 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee, Inc. www.demconvention.com. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080331/DNCCLOGO Source: 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee