Malia Obama is on the the next phase of her life! After spending four years at the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., the former first daughter will follow in her father Barack's footsteps and attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017. Before heading off to the ivy league school, Malia decided to take in the sights around the world, enjoy a summer full of music and land a dream internship. Here is a look at the teen's exciting gap year. Photo: Getty/Twitter
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High School Graduation Barack and Michelle Obama had a reason to get emotional as Malia finished her matriculation at the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. in June 2016. Malia's graduation was the first step toward starting her life as a college student at Harvard University. Although her parents had one full year before Malia heads to Massachusetts, the former president couldn't help but get emotional. “I've got my sunglasses ready," he said during an appearance on The Tonight Show. "[It'll be] one more example of the president crying." Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
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Girl time in African and Spain with Michelle and Sasha After graduation, Malia kicked off her summer with an educational trip to Africa and Spain. In June, Malia and her younger sister Sasha joined their mother Michelle and grandmother Marian Robinson for a trip to Liberia for the first leg of their Let Girls Learn initiative tour. For the second leg of the tour, Malia jetted off to Spain with her girl squad. The 18-year-old and Sasha stopped on Gran Via street for some shopping, while her mother met with Queen Letizia, and bonded over being mothers to two girls. "Like me, Queen Letizia is the mother of two beautiful daughters, and we've had the opportunity to bond over many issues, including the joys and the challenges of raising strong, smart, outspoken girls," Michelle said during a speech at a local cultural center, as she spoke of her "warm friendship" with the royal. Photo: Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images
