Ever since JD Vance took office as vice president, I'll admit I've been intrigued by his wife, Usha. Not only are the Vances the first leaders in the executive branch from my generation, but their family just seems so down to earth and relatable. In February, I wrote a profile on Usha, and at the end, I wondered where her focus would be over the next four years — would she maintain a fairly private life that centers around raising her three very young children, or would she make public appearances and/or find a cause? So far, it looks like she's doing a little bit of both.
While I'm not sure there are many expectations for a second lady of the United States, in the past, some have stuck to their private careers, while others have volunteered, written books, or served as something of a hostess at the White House. Usha has traveled around the world, both solo and with her husband, usually with one or all three kids in tow, and she's supported the first lady, Melania Trump, at various White House events.
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Over the weekend, she made a big announcement that may give us a little bit more of an idea of where her priorities will be over the next four years. "The Second Lady Summer Reading Challenge is here!" Usha posted on social media, along with a letter to children across the United States. It reads:
Dear Future Summer Readers,
Adventure, imagination, and discovery await - right between the pages of a book! We are excited to invite all children (K-8) to participate in the Second Lady's 2025 Summer Reading Challenge! Joining is easy: Just read 12 books of your choice between June l and September 5 and track your progress on the attached Reading Log. Each book you read brings you a step closer to completing the challenge.
Once you've read 12 books, ask your parents/guardians to let us know, and we'll send you a personalized certificate and a small prize! With your completed form submission, we'll enter your name into a drawing for the chance to visit the Nation's Capital with a chaperone. Terms and conditions apply. More information can be found at wh.gov/read.
We hope you will join us in participating this summer. Let the reading adventures begin!
This could be a sign that our second lady will promote reading and/or literacy during her time in office, and if so, I'm here for it. Studies from the last few years indicate that parents aren't reading to their children anymore, and kids aren't reading on their own for fun, either. Fox News also reports that 40% of students in the U.S. can't read at a basic level.
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I'm not sure what it's like now, but growing up, we had all sorts of summer reading programs and challenges at my schools, and I loved them. I won everything from a free pizza to tickets to Six Flags. But it wasn't just about the prizes or bragging rights — I loved reading so much that I usually ended up surpassing the number of required books every year. At the very least, I hope the "Second Lady Summer Reading Challenge" encourages more children to discover a passion for books and reading for fun.
And that's why I wanted to write about this. Usha doesn't have the biggest social media following, so I wanted to help spread the word. While I'm, sadly, too old to participate, I know many of you have children and grandchildren who would love to do so. So, I'd like to encourage you to encourage them to sign up. You can visit Whitehouse.gov/read to download the forms and learn more.
The fake news media will never cover the first or second ladies in a positive light. I just did a quick Google search to see if anyone else had written about this, and I could only find it on the website of one other conservative news outlet. They're too busy trying to cover for violent extremists at the moment.
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