Her education would have been wasted

The purpose of an education is not just to lead to a career. If you genuinely learn from your degree, and enjoy learning for the sake of learning, that is just as good a reason to do a degree. You don't have to give up being intelligent and remembering what you've learned when you become a mother.mother. 
 
The First Lady may seem like a figurehead position, but they have a remarkable influence on the United States. First Ladies are often diplomats and play an important role in foreign issues.

Michelle Obama was always a gifted student – skipping grades to keep up with her growing intelligence and eventually attending Princeton University and Harvard Law School. Perhaps it is just me being cynical, but what a waste! What was it all for? To stand behind your husband, waving? Surely the whole point of studying so hard for years was to secure a successful career and make use of such knowledge.