During an interview with People back in December 2019, Michelle and Barack Obama opened up about the day Sasha left for college and began the next major chapter of her life. 

"Time just goes so fast. But like so many experiences in the last 10 years, we wanted to make it feel as normal as possible, given our family's circumstances," the former first lady revealed, adding that it was "of course a little emotional" when she and Barack dropped their daughter Sasha off at university. "We were there, just like most parents, helping her unpack and make her dorm room feel like home," she said. 

Speaking previously at a charity reception, the former president also discussed the emotional experience of witnessing his daughters leaving for college. "I dropped off Malia at college, and I was saying to Joe and Jill (Biden) that it was a little bit like open-heart surgery, and I was proud that I did not cry in front of her." Barack continued, "But on the way back, the Secret Service was off, looking straight ahead, pretending they weren't hearing me as I sniffled and blew my nose. It was rough" (via USA Today).