These photos from 1992 tell the story of Hillary Clinton’s first presidential campaign experience.

“ The mainstream media didn’t give Bill much hope of making it through the primaries, let alone being elected president. … As his message of change caught on with potential voters, the press — and President Bush’s backers — started to take a closer look at Bill Clinton. And at me. ”

For Hillary, the campaign trail meant a chance to make a difference in the lives of countless Americans.

“ From Vandalia, Illinois, to St. Louis, Missouri, to Corsicana, Texas, to Valdosta, Georgia, we were met by similarly huge crowds radiating a joyous intensity that I have never seen anywhere else in politics.”

But adjusting to the national spotlight proved challenging.

“ If the first forty-four years of my life were an education, the thirteen-month presidential campaign was a revelation.”

“ For most of my life I had paid little attention to my clothes. I liked headbands. They were easy, and I couldn’t imagine that they suggested anything good, bad, or indifferent about me to the American public. … But soon I was like a kid in a candy store, trying out every [hair]style I could. Long hair, short hair, braids and buns. This was a new universe and it turned out to be fun.”

Talking to voters across the country, she grew passionate about an issue that would become the cause of her career.

“ To Bill and me, no issue was more distressing than the health care crisis in America. Everywhere we went, we heard story after story about the inequities of the health care system. Growing numbers of citizens were being deprived of necessary health care because they were uninsured and didn’t have the means to pay their own medical bills. … We knew that for every tragic case we heard about or witnessed, thousands more went untold. ”

She relied on the support and advice of close friends as she navigated life as a would-be first lady.

“ Bill put together a terrific team, including James Carville…James, a Louisiana Cajun and ex-marine, bonded with Bill immediately; they both relished their southern roots, adored their mamas and understood that presidential politics was a contact sport.”

And in moments of intense pressure and scrutiny, she learned lessons that have remained with her to this day.

“ I adopted my own mantra: Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you.”

Originally published at www.hillaryclinton.com.