ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTVA-CBS 11 News) - Sandy Parnell jokingly calls herself the "mystery lady." She acknowledges many Alaskans don't know that much about her. But in the role as Alaska's first lady, she knows that will change over time.

"I feel like I am a pretty typical Alaskan person in some kind of extraordinary circumstances right now," she said.

Mrs. Parnell is Alaska's tenth first spouse. The part-time legal assistant became an Alaskan through marriage.

"This is the best place in the world," Parnell says. "So Sean was smart to bring me up in the summer."

Parnell was born in New Mexico. As she grew up , her family moved around quite a bit. Parnell went to high school in California and met the governor while attending Pacific Lutheran University in Washington State.

"He was a sweet guy," Parnell recalls. "He always came across to me, I think and to most people at school, as just really a kind, calm, steady person. I think we've been blessed in being best friends from the start."

The first lady takes exception to those who call her husband "boring."

"I have not been bored a moment in 22 years of marriage with him," Parnell says.

This past July, Parnell stood beside her husband as he became governor. Former Governor Sarah Palin mentioned Parnell's children in her resignation speech.

"He has a very nice family too, so leave his kids alone," Palin said.

"I appreciated that statement," Sandy Parnell says. "And that was a concern in the back of our minds seeing what they went through."

The first lady says she worried media coverage could become just as personal as she believes it did with the Palins. So far, she's been pleased.

"We appreciate the fact that the media has left our family off limits and we also work to keep it that way," Parnell says.

The first lady is now working on a project she hopes to make her cause: educating Alaskans about our deaf community. It's something she became interested in after taking sign language classes at UAA.

"It really struck me, and I think that's when I really started having a heart for seeing if there was anything I could do to help the deaf community in getting the tools and resources they need to have full communication in life," Parnell says. "Because if you don't have that, you know, you live in isolation."

Sandy Parnell is also working to help husband win the next gubernatorial election.

"He's a deep person and he is calm and steady," Parnell says. "I just think that's exactly what Alaska needs in leadership."

The first lady's energy is currently focused on a big move coming up at the end of next month. That's when the first family is scheduled to move down to the Juneau Governor's Mansion.

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