Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice: A Woman Like No Other
"I lived in a place where you couldn't go have a hamburger at a restaurant, but my parents were telling me I could be president," says one of the most powerful and prominent leaders in today's society (www.nicholaskralev.com). As a former international studies scholar and a Stanford University provost, and now President Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice has drawn both fire and praise for her extraordinary mixture of Southern charm, intellectual tenacity, and no-nonsense leadership.  
Born November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, Condoleezza Rice, also known as "Condi", lived during the time when the town became the epicenter of the civil rights movement (www.nicholaskralev.com).   Her name was inspired by the Italian musical notation con dolcezza, meaning to play "with sweetness."   John, her father, pastured Westminster Presbyterian Church and was dean of the historically black Stillman College. Angelena, her mother, taught music and science at an all-black school.   Both saw to it that their daughter had the best things in life; a rare family pedigree, a devout faith, and a strong sense of self-worth. Rice claims her childhood during segregations taught her determination against adversity, and the need to be twice as good as non-minorities (http://en.wikipedia.org).  
As the only child of educators, the importance of learning was impressed upon Rice from day one.   She learned to read when most children were still struggling to walk and by the age of three had begun lessons in a wide range of areas such as classical piano,

figure skating, ballet, and French.   A talented child, both by heritage and self-motivation, Rice was in eighth grade by age eleven (www.christianitytoday.com).   At, fifteen, Condi entered the University of Denver with the aspiration of becoming a concert pianist.   But things soon changed as Condi attended a course on international politics taught by Josef Korbel, father of Madeleine... [continues]

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