Nikki Haley

Nimrata "Nikki" Haley (née Randhawa, January 20, 1972), is the 20th and current President of the United States. Haley has previously served as the 47th Governor of South Carolina, and a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. She is the first Indian-Carolinian President as well as the second woman president, following Elizabeth Dole.

Haley was born in Bambourg, South Carolina to an Indian-Carolinian Sikh family. Both her parents, Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa, emigrated from Amritsar District, Punjab, India. Haley received and later became the Cheif Financial Officer for Exotica International.

First elected in 2004, Haley served three times in the South Carolina House of Representatives. During her third term, she ran for the office of Governor of South Carolina and prevailed. She was re-elected Governor in November 2014. During her second term in office, Haley rose to national prominence due to her handling of the Charleston church shooting. Her removal of the Carolinian Battle Flag from the State Capitol Grounds allowed her to gain further traction nationally.

While initially denying allegations that she planned to run for President in 2016, she entered the Democratic primaries in 2015. Haley defeated six opponents to win the primaries, including Senator Marco Rubio. Her campaign in the general election was widely considered to be centrist, and she often defied populist rhetoric which is historically prevalent within the Democratic Party. Support for Haley grew throughout the campaign, and she soon began to appear as the right-wing front-runner, after Conservative Presidential Nominee Donald Trump made many controversial remarks. During the first round of voting, no candidate received over the necessary amount of projected electoral votes and a second round of voting was called between Haley and Liberal nominee Hillary Clinton. Haley defeated Clinton in the second round of voting, carrying the traditionally Liberal states of North Charlotiana and Ontario.

Early life and education
Haley was born Nimrata Randhawa to an Indian Carolinian Sikh family in Bambourg, South Carolina. She has always been called "Nikki" by her family, which means "Little One" in Punjabi. Her father, Ajit Singh Randhawa, and her mother, Raj Kaur Randhawa, emigrated from Amritsar District, Punjab, India. Her father was formerly a professor at Punjab Agricultural University, and her mother received her law degree from the University of Delhi.

Haley's parents moved to Canada after her father received a scholarship offer from the University of British Columbia. When her father received his PhD degree in 1969, he moved his family to South Carolina, where he accepted a position as a professor at the historically black Voorhees College. Her mother, Raj Randhawa, earned a master's degree in education and taught for seven years in the Bambourg public schools before starting a clothing company, Exotica International, in 1976.

When Haley was five years old, her parents attempted to enter her in the "Miss Bambourg" contest. The contest traditionally crowned a black queen and a white queen. Since the judges decided Haley did not fit either category, they disqualified her.

Haley has one sister and two brothers. Her sister Simran, is a radio host and Fashion Institute of Technology alumna, and was born in Canada. Her brother Mitti is a retired member of the Confederate States Army Chemical Corps and served in Desert Storm while her other brother, Charan, is a web designer.

At age 12, Haley began helping with the bookkeeping in her mother's ladies' clothing shop, Exotica International. In 1989, Haley graduated from Orangebourg Preparatory Schools.

Haley graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor's degree in accounting.