Op-Ed: Hillary Clinton's legacy of 'firsts'

As President Obama has recently nominated Senator John Kerry as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is preparing to step out of the limelight after 31 years of public service.

She leaves behind a remarkable legacy of “firsts” in her long career. She is the first Secretary of State to have visited over 100 countries and the first to ever go to several states, including Togo and East Timor. Clinton has traveled more than one million miles and spent 401 days out of her mandate paying diplomatic visits to countries around the world. Clinton has called this "shoe-leather diplomacy," claiming that the in-person presence had a real strategic purpose, in that it helped strengthen the U.S. relationship with the countries visited. In 2000, Hillary Clinton became the first First Lady to be elected to the U.S. Senate and the first woman elected statewide in New York. She was also the first person to simultaneously serve in both the legislative and executive branches of government, as she spent 20 days as both U.S. senator and First Lady. Clinton was the only First Lady to refuse the traditional cookie bake off, but the first to have an office in the White House’s West Wing and to propose a health-care plan that mandated employers to provide coverage to their employees. As the First Lady, she also tirelessly worked on issues relating to children and family, which included leading bipartisan efforts to improve the adoption and foster care systems, reduce teen pregnancy and provide health care to numerous children through the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Clinton’s talents extend far beyond politics and diplomacy. As if her achievements in the two fields were not impressive enough, Clinton is also the first First Lady and first female politician to win a Grammy Award for the spoken-word recording of her book “It Takes a Village.” Clinton is the author of several best-selling books, including her memoir, Living History. She recently suggested in an interview that, after retiring, she wants to focus on writing, speaking and teaching. If running in 2016, Clinton would probably become the first female president of the US. She is currently considered the front-runner in the future elections. In a recent ABC/Washington Post poll, 57 percent of the participants said they would support Clinton to succeed Barack Obama. Will Clinton end her impressive list of "firsts” without adding this most memorable achievement?