Latest news with #UshaVanceNews
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Usha Vance launches summer reading challenge: All about the programme and how can your kids participate in it
As the school year wraps up and summer stretches ahead, Second Lady Usha Vance is inviting children across the United States to dive into a world of imagination, learning, and discovery—all through the simple joy of reading. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On June 1st, the Second Lady officially launched the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge, a national initiative encouraging students from kindergarten through 8th grade to read 12 books of their choice over the summer. With rewards that include personalized certificates, small prizes, and even a chance to visit Washington, D.C., this challenge is more than just an activity—it's a celebration of literacy aand childhood curiosity. 'Let the Reading Adventures Begin!' In her warm message to participants, Usha Vance set the tone for a summer filled with stories: "Adventure, imagination, and discovery await—right between the pages of a book!" Children have from June 1 to September 5, 2025, to complete the challenge. The rules are simple: pick 12 books, read them independently or with a family member, and record them using the official Reading Log. Once completed, participants are asked to reflect on their favorite book or character—either by writing or drawing—and submit their work along with the signed form. What makes this challenge extra special? Every child who finishes will receive a personalized certificate and a small prize. Plus, those who submit their completed forms by the deadline will be entered into a nationwide drawing for a trip to the Nation's Capital, accompanied by a parent or guardian. In an interview about the inspiration behind the initiative, @SLOTUS (the Second Lady of the United States) shared her concerns about the nationwide decline in reading scores and the ongoing issue of summer learning loss—a phenomenon where students forget academic skills over the break. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Credit: X/@UshaVanceNews 'I'm aware of these kinds of bigger problems—the decline in reading scores, the persistent problem with summer learning loss... So, my goal is to come up with small ways in which I can use my platform to counteract some of those issues,' Vance said. While she acknowledges that the challenge may not solve everything, she believes it can plant the seeds of a lifelong love of reading, especially for children who might otherwise fall behind during the summer months. Here's how students can participate The structure of the challenge is designed to be accessible and engaging. Here's how students can participate: Step 1: Choose 12 books that excite you—any genre, any author. Step 2: Record each book in your Reading Log, noting the title, author, and start/finish dates. Step 3: After completing all 12, reflect on your reading by writing a short note or drawing a picture about your favorite book or character. Step 4: Have a parent or guardian sign the form and submit everything via email by September 5, 2025. The challenge is open to all U.S. children in grades K–8, and participation is entirely voluntary. But the rewards—both tangible and emotional—are clear: confidence in literacy, moments of quiet adventure, and a tangible goal to work toward.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
How US Vice President JD Vance met his wife Usha Bala Chilkuri Vance: Their love story
Credit: X U.S. Vice President JD Vance began his official visit to India on Monday, arriving with his wife, Usha Vance , and their three children — Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel — who stepped off Air Force Two wearing beautiful traditional Indian attire. On a visit to the Akshardham Temple, Vance praised India's craftsmanship and hospitality: 'Thank you all so much for your hospitality and kindness in welcoming me and my family to this beautiful place. It is a great credit to India that you built a beautiful temple with precision and care. Our kids, in particular, loved it. God Bless,' he said. The Vice President has visited Janpath and Akshardham so far and is rumoured to be travelling next to Jaipur's Amber Fort. For Usha Vance, this trip carries personal significance. Though born in California, she traces her roots to Andhra Pradesh, India. Her journey and her love story with JD Vance have been discussed a lot. Credit: X/@UshaVanceNews Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo JD and Usha Vance met as students at Yale Law School . They became friends before they started dating, and according to Usha in a 2017 NBC News interview, their bond deepened while working on a legal brief together. "I've never seen anybody so starstruck," said their professor, Amy Chua, who described JD Vance's reaction to Usha as 'love at first sight.' The couple married in 2014, holding both Christian and Hindu ceremonies. JD Vance later converted to Catholicism in 2019, according to The American Conservative. When asked by Fox News in June 2024 about their interfaith marriage , Usha Vance said, 'There are a lot of things that we just agree on, I think, especially when it comes to family life, how to raise our kids. So I think the answer really is that we just talk a lot.' JD Vance's bestselling 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy , chronicles not only his working-class upbringing but also his relationship with Usha. He credited Professor Chua for encouraging him to prioritize his relationship over a prestigious federal clerkship. 'Amy's advice stopped me from making a life-altering decision... Most important, it allowed me to accept my place at this unfamiliar institution — it was okay to chart my own path and okay to put a girl above some shortsighted ambition,' he wrote. Credit: X/@IvankaNews_ Usha, a Yale-educated litigator, built an impressive career that included clerkships with Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John G. Roberts. According to a now-removed bio from Munger, Tolles & Olson, she also served as executive development editor of the Yale Law Journal and managing editor of the Yale Journal of Law and Technology . She has done extensive pro bono work, including with the Supreme Court Advocacy Clinic and the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project. Their family grew alongside their careers. Their first child, Ewan, was born just a month before Usha began her clerkship with Chief Justice Roberts, according to NBC News . The couple also has a son, Vivek, and a daughter, Mirabel. As JD Vance's political profile rose, so did Usha's visibility. During his 2022 Senate campaign, she appeared in a political ad, calling him 'an incredible father' and 'my best friend.' Credit: X/@SUBRATA30016572 In her Republican National Convention speech, Usha reflected on their early relationship: 'Although he's a meat and potatoes kind of guy, he adapted to my vegetarian diet and learned to cook food from my mother, Indian food. Before I knew it, he'd become an integral part of my family, a person I could not imagine living without.' After the Trump-Vance ticket won the 2024 election, JD Vance thanked Usha in a post on X: 'THANK YOU! To my beautiful wife for making it possible to do this... I will never stop fighting for ALL of you.' At the 2025 inauguration, Usha Vance held the Bible as her husband was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh — her former boss — as Vice President of the United States. The couple has since taken several official trips together, including visits to France and Germany in February.
