Obama Appoints Shakira to Advisory Panel

Shakira is multi-talented: a singer, dancer, producer and now White House adviser.

The Colombian singer was appointed as a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, according to a White House press release.

No, Shakira won't be performing at a school near you. She has, however, been involved in many education efforts over the years and will continue to help needy children in Latin American countries.

"This is a tremendous honor for me," Shakira told the Huffington Post. "Latino youth are the fastest-growing group in America, yet more Latino children are living in poverty -- 6.1 million in 2010 -- than children of any other racial or ethnic group. As I have seen in my own Foundation work, the only road out of poverty is education."

Shakira's creds include founding the Barefoot Foundation in 1995, which helps feed and educate children in Colombia, South Africa and Haiti. She has also been a Goodwill Ambassador at the U.N. since 2003 and has served on a number of education boards.

The 34-year-old pop star also endorsed President Obama while he was campaigning in 2008, Politico reports. Her mentor, music legend Emilio Estefan, once hosted a fundraiser for Obama in their Miami home with his wife Gloria, The Wall Street Journal notes.

The education advisory panel was created a year ago and holds 30 members, according another White House press release.

Selected Reading: The White House, The Wall Street Journal, Politico

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