Q&a Michelle Kwan

SI: Your job as an envoy came about after you talked to Condoleezza Rice at a White House state luncheon for Chinese president Hu Jintao last April. What happened?

Kwan : As we said goodbye, I mentioned to Secretary Rice that she should get in touch with me if the State Department ever needed my assistance. She told me to e-mail her.

SI: What does your unpaid position entail?

Kwan : On my trip to Beijing , Guangzhou and Hong Kong in January, I spoke to students and young people about my personal experience. Hopefully, what I talked about—working hard, dedication, family values—they can apply to their lives.

SI: Are you a Democrat or a Republican?

Kwan : I'm an athlete (laughs). That's a good one to use when someone asks you that question: I just skate.

SI: Could you do this job without sharing the views of the Administration?

Kwan : That's why this position is so great: It's not my personal or political views. It's just about my experiences. That's what I'm going to talk about. Questions about what's going on in Iraq or U.S.- China relations—you know what? I have no right to comment on that.

SI: You're taking classes at the University of Denver . What are you majoring in?

Kwan : Political science with a minor in international studies.