Healthy food and plenty of exercise. The challenges military families face. Education for girls around the globe.

The feel-good initiatives of first lady Michelle Obama have served as both inspiration and eight years of teaching moments for many families. So what, exactly, do they think is her legacy over a period that spans much of the lifetime of today's kids?

“I think she stands for kindness in America,” said Alexis Shenkiryk, a 12-year-old in Del Mar, California. “She really encouraged me to try harder, and she promoted a lot of good things for everyone, not just certain people.”

Alexis was jealous when her 24-year-old sister got to attend President Barack Obama's 2008 inauguration. Over the years, said Shenkiryk's mom, Rhonda Moret, the goodwill the first lady was able to pass on to her girls overflowed from the White House.

“We're a biracial family,” Moret said. “We've had numerous conversations discussing how one's race or background are truly irrelevant and how we should value one's character above all else.”

Inara Abernathy, a 17-year-old in Nashville, Tennessee, has absorbed many life lessons of her own from the first lady.

“She's strong and beautiful and she makes me feel beautiful too,” Inara said. “I feel like I can accomplish things when I think about her.”

Then there's bullying.

“I was bullied a lot when I was little and she taught me how when I got bullied to just don't think about it,” Inara said. “Ignore them. Live your life and be happy.”

Her dad is a retired Army colonel and the teen admires Ms Obama's shout-out for military families. And when the first lady put in the White House garden, “it made me think about eating better food and losing weight,” Inara said. “Without her I'm not sure I would have done that.”

Norfolk, Virginia, 10th-grader Kassidy Carey canvassed for Hillary Clinton and has volunteered to advocate for various social causes through the site DoSomething.org. She was too little to remember the president's first inauguration, but she loved watching the second one. She's a regular first lady watcher.

“Oh, I love her,” said Kassidy, who has already decided on law school when the time comes. “I just think she's really well composed, and she's an empowering person.

“I really appreciate that the first lady tries to make young girls feel like more than just girls, you know,” she said. “She makes us feel like people who actually have opinions that matter and who can fight for what we believe in.”

Kiki Emordi is eight and in the third grade in Richmond, Texas, outside Houston. Her parents are originally from Nigeria and her mother, Ngozi Emordi, teaches English as a second language.

“She's a bold woman,” said the elder Emordi, who also has two older girls and a son. “Any black girl can just see Michelle and know she can dream big. She says to these girls it doesn't matter where you come from or what you look like, you can be anything that you want to be.”

Michelle Obama announces she will not be running for President

Lesson learned, as far as Kiki is concerned. She is forever on the hunt for any news of Ms Obama, whether it's about a fresh speech or fabulous outfit.

“I really look up to her as a role model,” she said.

At seven, Jordan West of Rochester, New York, has already met her hero, Ms Obama, at a White House-hosted event. She helps her two older brothers run the family's Champions of Change, a nonprofit they started to urge young people to become “change agents” in their communities. She recently spoke at another Washington event for girls.

“One of her goals is to help little girls,” said Jordan, who was inspired by the first lady to do the same.

Jordan hosted a party for girls in foster care and wrote a book about how she hit on the idea, “Princess for a Day.” She also got together with other girls to make real bags for foster kids who would otherwise have to transport their belongings in trash bags.

“She's a black person like us and she's an author and she went to Harvard,” Jordan said. “I was so excited.”

Michelle Obama as the First Lady Show all 11 1 /11 Michelle Obama as the First Lady Michelle Obama as the First Lady NEW YORK - MARCH 9: Michelle Obama, wife of Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) addresses the crowd at a fundraising event at the Grand Hyatt March 9, 2007 in New York City. The mass fundraiser of Senator Barack Obama targeted a youthful demographic. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady WASHINGTON - JANUARY 4: U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) (2nd L) poses for with his wife Michelle (2nd R), Vice President Dick Cheney (R), daughters (C) Malia and Sasha during the reenactment of a swearing -in ceremony on Capitol Hill January 4, 2005 in Washington, DC. The 109th Congress was sworn in January 4. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 19: Senator Barack Obama and his wife Michelle arrive at the 36th NAACP Image Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on March 19, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady AMES, IA - FEBRUARY 11: Michelle Obama, wife of Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), listens with her daughter Sasha as the Senator addresses a crowd gathered at a campaign rally at Iowa State University February 11, 2007 in Ames, Iowa. Obama is wrapping up a two-day campaign swing through Iowa after announcing February 10, that he would seek the Democratic nomination for President. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady DES MOINES, IA - DECEMBER 08: Michelle Obama (L) and talk show host Oprah Winfrey embrace at a rally for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama December 8, 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa. Obama and Winfrey are scheduled to make two stops in Iowa before heading off to campaign events in South Carolina and New Hampshire tomorrow. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady CHICAGO - FEBRUARY 05: Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), arrives for a Super Tuesday event at the Hyatt Hotel Feburary 5, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. Polls showed Obama and his rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), in a virtual tie going into Super Tuesday, where primaries and caucuses are held in 24 states. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady US President Barack Obama (L) and his wife Michelle (2nd L) meet with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (2nd R) and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh (R) during an audience at Buckingham Palace in London, on April 1, 2009. US President Barack Obama visited Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday while his in London for the G20 summit. Obama and wife Michelle were hosted by the queen for a meeting, the day before the crunch summit on tackling the world economic crisis. AFP PHOTO/John Stillwell/WPA POOL (Photo credit should read JOHN STILLWELL/AFP/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 11: A screen shows the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, as girls participate in a live conversation with her and other school girls around the world, via a video link at the Mulberry School for Girls n OCtober 11, 2016 in London, England. A Global Conversation on Girl's Education was a digital conversation with adolescent girls around the world. The event took place in celebration of International Day of the Girl. Girls in Washington, D.C., Jordan, Peru, Tanzania, and the Mulberry School for Girls in the United Kingdom spoke with one another about the challenges they have faced and potentially overcome in attaining an education. (Kirsty Wigglesworth-WPA Pool/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady Executive Director of Let's Move! and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition Policy at The White House Debra Eschmeyer (L) looks on as First Lady Michelle Obama (C) helps a child harvest sweet potatoes from the White House Kitchen Garden during a harvesting event at the White House in Washington, DC, October 6, 2016. / AFP / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 20: U.S. first lady Michelle Obama dances with students from turn around schools during a talent show at the East Room of the White House May 20, 2014 in Washington, DC. President Obamas Committee on the Arts and the Humanities held the first-ever White House Talent Show featuring performances by major artists and showcase the talents of students from schools participating in the Turnaround Arts program which helps to turn around low-performing schools and increase student achievement through arts education. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Getty Michelle Obama as the First Lady WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 06: First Lady Michelle Obama dances with members of the All Stars from from the television show "So You Can Dance" during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn April 6, 2015 in Washington, DC. President Obama and the first lady hosted thousands of children for the annual White House event dating back to 1876 that features live music, sports courts, cooking stations, storytelling, as well as the Easter egg roll this year. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Getty

Rebecca Briscoe teaches second grade to Kiki Emordi and classmate Maya Babu.

“For over 10 years now I have taught in underserved communities,” Ms Briscoe said. “Michelle is like their Beyonce because she grew up hard like them.”

As for Maya? Ms Obama, she said, “makes me want to be a better girl.”