Melinda French Gates.Photo:Phoebe Gates/Instagram
Phoebe Gates/Instagram
Melinda French Gatesis celebrating another year.
In honor of her 59th birthday on Tuesday, the philanthropist and advocate received a pair of glowing tributes from her daughters.
“Happy birthday, mom,” the Stanford student wrote.
French Gates was recently in attendance as Jennifergraduated from Columbia Universitywith her master’s degree in public health.
“(Accelerated) Master of Public Health 👩🎓🩵,” thegraduate wroteback in April alongside a smiling photograph with her parents and husband. “Thank you @columbiapublichealth for this incredible educational opportunity and the village around me who made this possible. Grateful 🙏✨.”
“Transparency— accelerated students officially get our degrees conferred in October when practicum deliverables are due, but all coursework is completed and we walk in the ceremony and celebrate now,” she added.
French Gates has been busy as well, recently releasing the first book from her new imprint,Moment of Lift Books, which uplifts conversations about gender equity. Speakingwith PEOPLEearlier this year, she detailed the inspiration behind the new venture.
“Books have been a way of opening cultures to me that I otherwise probably wouldn’t have experienced in the same way," she explained.
“So often my friends or my mom and I, or now my daughters and I would share books with each other and discuss them,” added French Gates. “That’s what has led me to say, ‘I want to see far more books about gender equity.'”
Melinda French Gates and ex-husband Bill Gates.Kevin Mazur/Getty for Robin Hood
Kevin Mazur/Getty for Robin Hood
French Gates and her ex-husband also remain committed to working together to make a difference.
The billionaire philanthropists, whofinalized their divorcein August 2021, haverepeatedly spokenabout theircontinued working relationshipthrough theBill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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“We certainly have a working relationship," the philanthropist previously toldCBS Mornings’Gayle King. “‘Friends’ is a different word for me, and that might come over time, but for me there’s still healing that needs to happen.”
source: people.com
