All presidents are historic, but only a few have come into the presidency with a nation in chaos. Despite this, Barack Obama could be one of the most memorable presidents in United State’s history. Obama was elected in 2008 and has served a term of 8 years. He made history when he was elected as the US’s first black president, and he continued to make history through his terms as POTUS.

Obama’s election and term have been filled with changes in the mindsets of American people. “He was a role model for so many young African Americans,” said Maya Powell ’18. The fact that he is the first black president will be a large part of the historical narrative. Many predict that a lasting change will be the idea of a non-white First Family. He set a standard on how the American citizens will view people of color in the White House and in the U.S. An anonymous student commented, “He set a precedent for all presidents who come after him. I’m incredibly proud to have had him as my president and I feel as if we have only gained from this eight year experience.”

While Obama may have been the first black president the US has seen, he also has made history in other accomplishments. He pulled out troops from Iraq from 2007-2011. He also created and passed the ObamaCare bill, a controversial bill that allows citizens access to health care who normally could not afford it.

Though Obama had many amazing feats and made history during his presidency, he also made some less-than-amazing choices. Will Bodycot ’17 spoke on the Affordable Care Act that was passed in March 2010: “Obama’s original proposal sounded great for all Americans, promising a decrease on average of $2,000 in health care premiums. The issue was that there were so many people in need of subsidized health care, and not enough people who didn’t need subsidies to offset the loss of money on the part of the insurance companies. Due to that issue, American’s health insurance premiums actually increased quite a bit. The problem is that the health care law doesn’t work for everyone.” While many people do support the passing of this bill, many others say that it will soon fail and it must be replaced with something else that is stronger and less expensive for taxpayers.

Many call Obama’s presidency a restorative term, rather than transformative. “He spent most him time trying to fix a broken system,” explained an anonymous student. This was his disadvantage going into his presidency in 2008, and that he was affected by the choices made and the consequences of his predecessor. “He worked with what he had and he did an amazing job at it. He will forever be my role model and he gives me hope that one day everyone will be treated with unconditional respect,” an anonymous student added. Obama campaigned on hope, and the actions of his administration reflected that. It is a tragedy that he faced a country fiercely divided against itself.

Obama strived for peace and justice and set precedents for our future presidents. Obama has made mistakes during his presidency, but this is a reflection of his humanity. He has not been perfect, nor has received the  love of all Americans; however, he has made history in his eight years as President, and that will not be forgotten.