As Americans cross Memorial Day off the calendar and look toward an eventful summer, the inaugural seeds of change that were planted into the American soil on a brisk January morning are beginning to flourish. President Obama ran on the platform of change, and from the looks of things, change has come.

May 26th's national headlines informed readers of President Obama’s selection of Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court Justice. President Obama also recently appointed Marine General Charles Bolden Jr. as the head of NASA. Both Sotomayor and Bolden set precedents with their newly acquired titles, as they represent the first Hispanic and first African-American to hold their respective positions.

On a related note, Anne Mulchay, the head of Xerox is relinquishing her title officially July 1st. She will be succeeded by Ursula Burns, who will be the first African- American woman to head a Fortune 500 company.

Although Burns’s achievement is independent of any Obama influence, her story follows the Obama pattern: started as an intern, worked hard, and got rewarded for her hard work. With that said, both Sotomayor and Bolden also follow the pattern laid out by President Obama’s rise to the White House. Sotomayor went from the projects in the Bronx to become a Princeton graduate. General Bolden ascended to high levels of respect as both a marine and as an astronaut.

All three are accomplished individuals who represent hard work paying off. As most people look at the change taking place in America, and take it for face value, it might be good to look at the background story and see that this is more than just the façade of change.