"It's definitely exciting news," Adam said.

Ann Geneva said she is excited about her opportunity to meet the first lady and called her "a great role model."

University officials also are excited about the visit.

"We are pleased to host the first lady, someone whose commitment to service, children and healthy communities reflects UNI's commitment to serve our community, our state and our nation," Northern Iowa president Ben Allen said in a news release. "We welcome this opportunity for our students to hear the first lady's inspiring story of how higher education impacted her life and her passion for service."

Jim O'Connor, a spokesman for the university, called the story about securing the first lady's visit "classic UNI style" but said her trip to campus made perfect sense.

"Honestly, this did come as a bit of a surprise for us, but it's a good fit if you look at the first lady's agenda," he said. "She is the first person in her family to graduate from college, and many of our students are in that same position. She is also very involved with education and the concept of service, which we focus on here at UNI. There is a real obvious tie there."