DU Student, World Champion Athlete, U.S. Diplomat
Michelle Kwan is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history. She’s won 43 championships, including five world championships, nine U.S. championships and two Olympic medals. And she’s a DU student, majoring in political science with a minor in international studies.
In November 2006, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (BA ’4, PhD ’81) named Michelle the first American public diplomacy envoy. Michelle travels around the world with State Department officials, visiting schools, clubs and community groups to speak about leadership and to engage her international peers in conversations about social and educational issues.
Watch this video to learn more about her role as the first diplomatic envoy.
Michelle recently returned from the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, where she and Condoleeza Rice represented the U.S. at the closing ceremonies.
Watch this video to hear Michelle talk about her experiences at the Olympics and representing the U.S. throughout the world.
Studying Abroad at DU
Michelle’s story is one example of the hundreds of DU students who include international experiences as part of their academic curriculum. Your options include:
- Our Cherrington Global Scholars Program, which allows eligible students to study abroad at more than 150 locations at no additional cost beyond that of a term at DU.
- Short-term faculty-led DU Programs, including International Service Learning programs.
- Non-DU study abroad programs that fit students' academic needs, available on an individually approved basis.
- Graduate students may utilize additional models of study abroad or complete individual research projects.
Published on Sept. 30, 2008