One of the few women in Trump's administration resigned. Here's what you need to know about Nikki Haley.

On Tuesday, Nikki Haley said she plans to leave her position as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations at the end of the year. “It has been an honor of a lifetime. … It has really been a blessing,” she told reporters during a joint Oval Office appearance with President Trump.

Haley is one of the few women in the Trump administration and also stands out as one of the most prominent, distinct voices on foreign policy. As the daughter of immigrants, a moderate Republican, and an advocate for free markets and global trade, Haley has taken stances that have often clashed with the priorities of the president.

However, the president told her, “You have done a fantastic job, and I want to thank you very much.”

Outgoing Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley talks with President Trump in the Oval Office after the president accepted Haley’s resignation, Oct. 9, 2018. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Outgoing Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley talks with President Trump in the Oval Office after the president accepted Haley’s resignation, Oct. 9, 2018. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Here’s what you need to know about Haley:

The former governor of South Carolina has served as ambassador to the U.N. since 2017

Much of Haley’s life has been spent in public office and blazing trails in politics. In 2004, she was elected to the South Carolina Statehouse, where she served for six years until being elected governor.

As an Indian-American, the youngest governor in the U.S., and South Carolina’s first female governor, Haley earned a spot on Time’s cover in September 2017 as one of the women who are “changing the world.”

During her tenure at the U.N., she’s pushed for American diplomacy and has led the U.S. out of the U.N. Human Rights Council, which Haley called the organization’s “greatest failure.”

She was an early critic of Trump before her appointment in 2016

Bless your heart,” Haley once responded, in proper Southern fashion, to Trump tweets accusing her of being “very weak on immigration” and calling her an embarrassment to her state.

During the 2016 election, Haley publicly criticized Trump for harsh campaign rhetoric and supported establishment candidates during the primary. “During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation,” Haley said. “No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country.”

Haley endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the Republican primary and then Texas Sen. Ted Cruz after Rubio dropped out. However, the governor ultimately went on to vote for Trump, despite being “not a fan” of him or Hillary Clinton at the time. Haley, however, stuck with Republican policies of the time, opposing the resettlement of Syrian refugees in South Carolina and President Barack Obama’s health care law.

She’s the daughter of Indian immigrants

Born Nimrata “Nikki” Randhawa, Nikki Haley grew up in the small town of Bamberg, S.C. — a town of just 3,000 people. She was raised in a Sikh household, converted to Christianity, and now attends a Methodist church, according to the BBC.

“We were the only Indian family in town. … My father wore a turban, my mother wore a sari, and we were different,” Haley wrote for Time. “But my parents always said that the things that make you different make you special.” Growing up as an outsider, Haley said, taught her the importance of finding similarities with the people around her, which carried on to her political life. “I grew up trying to show people what we have in common.”

She was unafraid to voice her opinion on key policy issues, like her stance on Russia

With all due respect, I don’t get confused,” Haley remarked in response to a White House official’s claim she had a “momentary confusion” when speaking about Russia sanctions, leading to one of the most viral moments during her tenure as ambassador.

Following the notorious New York Times anonymous op-ed this year, Haley spoke out about how she advised — and disagreed with — Trump.

“I don’t agree with the president on everything,” Haley wrote for the Washington Post in September. “When there is disagreement, there is a right way and a wrong way to address it. I pick up the phone and call him or meet with him in person.”

She’s been rumored to be considering a presidential run

Like most candidates who have spent their professional lives in politics, Haley has been the focus of several rumors about an eventual presidential run.

Haley, however, has denied such ambitions. “Everyone thinks that I’m ambitious, and everybody thinks I’m trying to run for something, and everybody thinks I want more,” she told CNN in 2017. “I can’t imagine running for the White House.”

During Tuesday’s press conference, she said, “I don’t have anything set on where I’m going to go.”

“It’s been eight years of intense time, and I’m a believer in term limits,” she added. “I think you have to be selfless enough to know when you step aside.”