It’s been six years since the Obama family led the United States and resided in the White House, and today, the family is very different from how we remember them. During Barack’s time in office, Malia and Sasha were just little girls. Today, they’ve blossomed into stunning and smart young women with their own goals. Today, Malia is a 24-year-old graduate of Harvard University with a writing credit on Donald Glover’s upcoming Amazon Prime Show, “Hive.” Her little sister Sasha is 21 years old, attending the University of Southern California and living in the sunshine after a cold freshman year at the University of Michigan. Both Michelle and Barack are incredibly proud of their girls, and it’s a two-way street, with Sasha and Malia gushing in their first-ever interview, which took place for the Netflix documentary “Becoming.” Today, let’s take a look back at the best moments depicting these famous sisters growing up right before our eyes.
The Beginning
In this photoshoot by Annie Leibovitz, Barack Obama has just taken his place in office, and the girls are at their most adorable. Malia was 10 years old and little Sasha was 7, showing an innocent side of them before fame and before their tween era.
Just a girl and her dad
We love this throwback to a time when Sasha was still tiny enough to be held by her dad Koala-style. White House photographer Pete Souza said that this private moment was when the youngest Obama daughter needed some time alone with her dad, and he was more than happy to provide her with that in this sweet moment.
Lighting the tree
This moment captured in 2011 shows the genuine love that this family has for each other and looks quite different from the Trump household lighting their White House tree. This family is all about spending quality time and remaining down-to-earth, even if their patriarch was the POTUS at the time.
Growing up fast
Malia is known for her height, and she certainly sprouted up in 2011 when this photograph was taken. Although many teens would be embarrassed to showcase their braces, Malia flashed her brilliant smile and looked fabulous doing so. We don’t remember looking that good in our teen years with a mouth full of metal, so kudos to her for rocking it so well.
The Egg Roll
By 2012, the girls were starting to feel more natural and comfortable with the public eye and cameras on them at all times. From Malia’s poise in this picture, it’s clear that she’s on her way toward growing up and maturing. This image also shows some love to the Obamas’ family dog, who unfortunately passed away in 2021.
Still a daddy’s girl
While many kids would be mortified to hold hands with their dads as teenagers, it’s clear that these two aren’t at all embarrassed of their very accomplished parents. On the way to an Easter service at church in 2013, Sasha holds her dad’s hand and Malia holds her mom’s, and everybody’s all smiles!
A girls’ trip
There’s something so sweet and genuine about the relationship that these girls share with each other and their mother, and this picture captures a heartfelt hug during a trip to The Great Wall of China. We’re not sure what she’s saying, but she’s probably reminding them that they’ll always be her little girls, no matter how old they get.
That time the girls were the same height
Pardoning the turkey is a major tradition at the White House, and it’s clear that the girls were having a blast. While Malia is known for being the tall sister, this adorable moment captures the girls when Malia was 16 and Sasha was 13, making them nearly the same height! While they’re definitely not the little girls we remember in 2008, they still have much growing up to do!
A very different second portrait
If you compare this picture to the Obamas’ first inauguration image, you’ll be shocked by how much the girls have grown up in just four years. With Malia’s statuesque look, wavy hair and brace-free look, she’s blossomed into an absolute stunner. Meanwhile, we can see Sasha expressing herself through her personal style and growing into her own identity. We’ve come a long way, baby!
A sisterly moment
At the Canadian state dinner, Malia and Sasha exuded grace in ballgowns. While they were in their most elegant outfits to date, they didn’t take a chance to miss a funny photo op. Here, Sasha is gushing at meeting celebrity Ryan Reynolds while Malia does a sneaky thumbs up, proving that while they might look like celebs at this gala, they’re actually very relatable.
Malia’s 18th birthday
You know that a family really has love for each other when an 18-year-old is willing to spend her birthday with her family instead of her friends. On July 4, 2016, she celebrated the milestone with the rest of the USA, sharing a stage with stars like Kendrick Lamar and Janelle Monae. Still, with Malia closely snuggled up to her dad, it’s clear that they haven’t grown apart at all during her teen years.
An NYC Internship
Although Malia’s parents are focused on politics, she’s always been interested in Hollywood. It started with a summer internship on Lena Dunham’s HBO show “Girls” and in 2017, she moved to Manhattan to take an interview at The Weinstein Co. Of course, she didn’t know about the allegations at the time, and it was a clever way to spend her gap year before enrolling in Harvard.
Enjoying spring break with friends
Here, Malia ditches her polished waves for a more relaxed look as she heads for a swim in a high-waisted one-piece. She’s enjoying a typical college kid moment here in Miami, Florida. Captured in 2019, the eldest Obama sister enjoyed some time by the pool with drinks.
Keeping it low-key in LA
Despite her gorgeous appearance and her new presence in Hollywood, Malia prefers to stay out of the spotlight and leave the fame to her parents. Instead, she keeps things as low-key as possible — while it’s inevitable that the paparazzi will find her, she doesn’t let her presence be known and tries to avoid the headlines.
