The First Lady's Organizer

After graduation Nicole Rabner '93 began a six-week internship with the person she most admired Hillary Clinton. Five years later Rabner is still at the White House, organizing policy meetings for the First Lady and working with the Domestic Policy Council on children's issues.

Rabner who says she learned to coordinate large meetings as co-chair of her senior symposium at Dartmouth, was part of the team that researched and coordinated both the child welfare policy that culminated with the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 and the $21 billion child care initiative President Clinton announced in his January State of the Union address. She also organized the White House conference on early childhood development sponsored by the President and Mrs. Clinton in April 1997.

Rabner brought the First Lady to Hanover in 1993 for a healthcare forum with Dr. C. EverettKoop '37. She helped plan a symposium on children's issues held for spouses during the 1994 Summit of Americas, a meeting of 34 heads of state hosted by the President in Miami. When the First Ladies of Latin America invited Mrs. Clinton to their annual meetings, Rabner joined the First Lady on trips to Paraguay, Bolivia, and Panama.

"I think she's one of the most inspiring people," Rabner says about the woman she describes as funny, brilliant, and caring. "That's what's kept me here so long."

Now Rabner is considering going back to school perhaps to study law—before continuing her efforts on behalf of children.

Nicole Rabner and her boss, Hillary Clinton.