FLOTUS Melania Trump visits military children
First Lady Melania Trump interacts with Ilana Jordan, an Imagine Andrews student, at the youth center on Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sept. 15, 2017. The facility offers various programs such as before and after school care, social recreation, sports and fitness and instructional programs for more than 800 children. Photo by Senior Airman Jordyn Fetter/U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Jordyn Fetter/U.S. Air Force

KEY POINTS

  • Melania Trump was a good student 
  • Melania Trump prioritized her schooling over making friends and partying
  • Melania Trump is close to her sister Ines

Melania Trump realized early on that she wanted to study at a very competitive secondary school in Slovenia. And the only way for her to get in is if she studies hard.

In the book “Free, Melania,” author Kate Bennett revealed how the FLOTUS got into the technical school Srednja šola za oblikovanje in fotografijo (High School of Design and Photography).

According to Bennett, it was not easy to get accepted at the school but the FLOTUS studied hard and did everything that she could to make sure that she would pass. And when she did, the first lady immersed herself in the fashion design course.

Bennett also revealed that Melania didn’t socialize much after school because she was always rushing to catch the train back home. Every day, the FLOTUS had to travel for one hour from Sevnica to Ljubljana.

“It was an arduous commute for a teenager, but especially one trying to acclimate to her peers. While it isolated her socially, it also highlighted Melania’s early sense of responsibility.” Throughout the various stages of her life, people who know her almost always fondly described her as sort of a wet blanket,” Bennett said.

The author added that President Donald Trump’s wife wasn’t also a rule breaker. She never changed her schedule to grab a coffee or drink with her friends. She was also a giant nerd disguised in a model’s body.

Meanwhile, Melania and her older sister, Ines, were also very close. The two were both very responsible even without their parents around. They didn’t party or invite friends over because their main focus was their education.

“The freedom to nothing but be together was for the Knavs girls, was quite literally heaven. Theirs was a strong bond based on loyalty,” Bennett said.

Melania and Ines also loved fashion while they were growing up. But while the FLOTUS wanted to become a model, her older sister wanted to be a designer. After moving to Milan in the 1990s to pursue a career in the industry, they met a Paris-based photographer.

While speaking with Town & Country, the photographer described Ines as someone who was polite and mellow.

Melania also asked Ines to be her maid of honor when she wed the POTUS in 2005. But since then, Ines has kept a low-profile. In fact, she was not seen in public during President Trump’s campaign, and she has not been visible to the world even after her brother-in-law became the president of the United States.