"I hope that as we move toward this new century, we will find that children's and women's issues are on the forefront of our political agendas and that we are all looking for ways to help each of us," Clinton said.

During a question-and-answer period with Kennedy School faculty members, Clinton addressed a number of issues, including the ongoing debate over welfare reform. She said that there is still a lot of learning and discussion to be done.

"We have to approach what we are doing with a great dose of humanity," she added. "We have to make sure that we help people who are genuinely in need and that we do a lot of the other tasks that any caring village should do. We will find out how well equipped we are to do that."

Clinton said she cherishes her memories of the last four years.

The first lady said that "seeing history being made" has been among her most valuable experiences.

"I still get goosebumps when I walk through the White House," she said.

Clinton said she has tried not to let ongoing public and media criticism affect her. "I don't really mind that--I consider it part of the territory," she said.

But the first lady also acknowledged the complexity and difficulty in defining her role as the spouse of the nation's leader.

"It has no job description," Clinton said. "It is a very unusual role, and it is invested upon with meaning depending upon the historic time in which it is playing out and the person who occupies it."

Clinton's speech was broadcast live over the Internet and on C-SPAN