Editing Michelle Kwan (section)

==Early life and education==
Born in [[Torrance, California]], Kwan was the third child of Danny Kwan and Estella Kwan, immigrants from [[Hong Kong]]. Her father was a native of [[Guangzhou|Canton]] and emigrated from Hong Kong to California in 1971.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/02/20/skating-paying-off-for-kwan-family/ |title=Skating Paying off for Kwan Family – Chicago Tribune |website=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630033901/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-02-20/sports/9802200069_1_danny-kwan-michelle-kwan-karen-kwan |archive-date=30 June 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/kwan/profile.html|title=CNN Programs – People in the News|website=CNN|access-date=February 15, 2022|archive-date=September 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920044529/http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/kwan/profile.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Kwan grew up speaking both [[Cantonese]] and [[English language|English]] at home.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-ms-kwan-goes-to-washington-20110603-column.html|title=Ms. Kwan Goes to Washington|first=Philip|last=Hersh|website=Chicago Tribune|date=June 3, 2011|access-date=August 7, 2019|archive-date=August 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807192038/https://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-ms-kwan-goes-to-washington-20110603-column.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Kwan's interest in figure skating began at the age of five when she followed her two older siblings ([[ice hockey]] player Ron and figure skater [[Karen Kwan|Karen]]) onto the ice.<ref name=bio0506 /> Karen and Michelle began serious training when Michelle was about eight years old. They practiced three to four hours a day, waking up at 4:30am and arriving at the rink at 5:00am to skate before school, and then going back to the rink right after school to skate again. Paying for their increased skating-rink time led to financial hardship for Kwan's [[working class|working-class]] family. When Kwan was ten years old, her family could no longer afford a coach, but they were offered financial assistance by a fellow member of the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club<ref>{{cite book | title = The Winning Attitude: What It Takes to Be A Champion | first = Michelle | last = Kwan | year = 1999 | publisher = Hyperion Press| isbn = 0786805463 }}</ref> that allowed them to train at the Ice Castle International Training Center in [[Lake Arrowhead, California]].

Kwan attended Soleado Elementary School in [[Palos Verdes, California]], but left public school to be homeschooled in 1994, when she was in the 8th grade.<ref name=cbie /> After graduation from [[Rim of the World High School]] in 1998, Kwan attended [[University of California, Los Angeles]] (UCLA) for one year.

In the fall of 2006, she transferred to the [[University of Denver]] (DU).<ref name="latoutlook" /> Kwan mentioned that her attendance at DU marked a significant "turning point" in her life. She made the shift from having tutors since 7th grade and being a full-time skater to becoming a full-time student. During her initial weeks at DU, she had to use crutches due to hip surgery.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2009-06-06 |title=Figure skater Michelle Kwan adds DU diploma to list of accomplishments |url=https://magazine-archive.du.edu/featured-categories/magazine-feature/figure-skater-michelle-kwan-adds-du-diploma-to-list-of-accomplishments/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=University of Denver Magazine - Archive |language=en-US |archive-date=November 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105192511/https://magazine-archive.du.edu/featured-categories/magazine-feature/figure-skater-michelle-kwan-adds-du-diploma-to-list-of-accomplishments/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Shortly after her arrival at DU, Kwan engaged in an international studies internship. [[Condoleezza Rice]], the former [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]], appointed Kwan as the inaugural American Public Diplomacy Envoy. Her role was to foster a better understanding of America by sharing her personal story through cross-cultural dialogues with international students.<ref name=":0" />

Kwan mentioned the challenges of balancing travel and school, recounting instances when she had to take exams on campus shortly after returning from a 15-hour flight. She applied the knowledge gained in her classroom to her international endeavors.<ref name=":0" />

In June 2009, she graduated from Denver's [[Josef Korbel School of International Studies]] with a bachelor's degree in international studies and a minor in political science.<ref name="sfg090606" /> In 2009, she began graduate studies in international relations at [[the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy]] at [[Tufts University]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.du.edu/today/stories/2009/06/2009-06-04kwan.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090607095425/http://www.du.edu/today/stories/2009/06/2009-06-04kwan.html|archive-date = June 7, 2009|title = Home}}</ref> and graduated in 2011.<ref name="ct110603" /><ref name="lat111223" /> On May 8, 2010, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from [[Southern Vermont College]].<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.svc.edu/pr/index.html?release_id=1021 | title = Skating Champion Michelle Kwan to be Speaker at Commencement | publisher = [[Southern Vermont College]] | date = April 9, 2010 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120505014312/http://www.svc.edu/pr/index.html?release_id=1021 | archive-date = May 5, 2012 | df = mdy-all }}<br />- {{cite news | url = http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100513&content_id=10021350&vkey=ice_pressrelease | title = Kwan addresses grads at Southern Vermont College | publisher = Icenetwork | date = May 13, 2010 | access-date = June 17, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120514054239/http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100513&content_id=10021350&vkey=ice_pressrelease | archive-date = May 14, 2012 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}</ref>