Ein amerikanischer Traum
Kirk and her literacy associate Helen M. Roberts of Palo Alto often helped find sponsorships for promising Kenyan students to study in the United States. An article by Michael Dobbs in The Washington Post states that Kirk provided most of the financial support during Obama Sr's early years in the United States, according to the Tom Mboya archives at Stanford University. Kirk and Roberts are mentioned in Barack Obama's 1995 book, Dreams from My Father (pg 427 hardcover). Roberts encouraged and supported his many college applications and correspondences, while Kirk provided college recommendation letters.