Skaters and higher education: who studied what? | Page 3 | Golden Skate

Skaters and higher education: who studied what?

Skatefan15

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Don’t know if it’s been mentioned but Max Aaron graduated a few years ago with his major being in finance (correct me if I’m wrong) :clap:
 

withwings

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Christian Gao has graduated Harvard, not sure in which discipline.

Does someone here already mentioned Sasha Cohen? Polina Edmunds?

I hope in few years also Kaetlyn Osmond will join those who graduated university, she is in the beginning.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
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Australia
Don’t know if it’s been mentioned but Max Aaron graduated a few years ago with his major being in finance (correct me if I’m wrong) :clap:

Yup! During the Olympic season. And very quickly got hired by a prestigious firm. :love:
 

bouncy

☀️
On the Ice
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Oct 4, 2019
Tatsuki completed his master’s degree at Waseda University Graduate School of Sports Science and is continuing his research as a PhD student, also at Waseda.

He just got his PhD degree this March, and later published a book introducing "artistic sports" based on his doctoral dissertation.
 

Nigel

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Nathan and Vincent, both studying at prestigious US universities (the former in medicine), Yuzuru doing Human Informatics and Cognitive Sciences at the equally prestigious Waseda, Tatsuki Machida's Master's in Sport Management, also at Waseda (I think I read he's now graduated? I'm not sure), and isn't Mikhail Kolyada also at university?

This is, by the way, not at all to denigrate or make light of Alena's ambitions or her high intelligence. But let's not discount the other academically impressive stars we do have.

Nathan is at Yale, and is considering stats/data science as his major. Yes, he has an interest in medicine, but has yet to finish undergrad degree. He is not in medical school.
 

withwings

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Jan 5, 2014
He just got his PhD degree this March, and later published a book introducing "artistic sports" based on his doctoral dissertation.

Thank you VERY MUCH for the info!! Tatsuki Machida is brilliant! A brilliant skater and persona. Glad to hear about his book. What exactly is a title of the book? I assume no translation available in any other language (yet)..
 

Nigel

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Compiled some higher ed info on US skaters....

Max Aaron: Univ Colorado at Colorado Springs, Bachelor Degree, finance
Meryl Davis: Univ of Michigan, Bachelor Degree, cultural anthropology
Charlie White: Univ of Michigan, political science (unclear as to if he has completed his undergraduate work)
Sarah Hughes: Yale, Bachelor Degree, American Studies; Univ of Pennsylvania, JD
Emily Hughes: Harvard, Bachelor Degree, Sociology
Sasha Cohen: Columbia, Bachelor Degree, Political Science
Evan Bates: Univ of Michigan, Bachelor Degree, Organizational Studies
Mirai Nagasu: Univ of Colorado at Colorado Springs, business classes, (unclear as to if she completed her undergraduate work)
Michelle Kwan: University of Denver, Bachelor Degree, International Studies; Tufts, Masters in International Studies and Diplomacy
Emily Samuelson, Univ of Michigan, Bachelor Degree, International Studies/Political Economy and Development
Richard Dornbush: UC San Diego, Bachelor Degree, Computational physics
Rachael Flatt: Stanford University, Bachelor Degree, Biology; Univ of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, PhD Candidate, Clinical Psychology
Alex Johnson, Univ of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, Bachelor degree in Finance
Jason Brown, Univ of Colorado, Colorado Springs…enrolled, did not complete an undergraduate degree at UCCS; now training in Canada
Armin Mahbanoozadeh, Dartmouth, (was accepted, but gave up his spot to continue training, re-enrolled in 2013); unsure if he has completed his undergraduate work
Ashley Wagner, will begin undergraduate studies at Northeastern this autumn. Previously took undergrad classes at Saddleback College as well as at Northern Virginia Community College
Polina Edmunds: Santa Clara Univ, Bachelor degree, Communications
Christina Gao: Harvard, Bachelor degree, corrected .....BA in Economics
Yasmin Siraj, Harvard, Bachelor Degree, Molecular and Cellular Biology
Angela Wang, Univ Colorado Colorado Springs, classes in Exercise Science (not available as if she completed her degree)
Kira Baga, Univ of Pennsylvania, Bachelor Degree, Biological Basis of Behavior
Logan Giulietti-Schmitt, Eastern Michigan University, Bachelor degree, Geology
Lynn Kriengkrairut: Univ of Michigan, Bachelor in BioPsychology, currently at Univ North Dakota School of Medicine (MD 2021)
Tommy Steenburg: George Mason University, BA in Dance and BS in Accounting
Steven Carriere: Boston College Carroll School of Management, BS in Marketing and Management
BeBe Liang, Cal State Northridge, Bachelor degree in Kinesiology
Alissa Czisny: Bowling Green State University, BS in International Studies
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
General comment that this thread could go on and on ad infinitum (and I would be perfectly happy :yes: if it did).

Please don't get me wrong: I am not/not/not trying to diminish any skater's academic pursuits. Quite the opposite.

What I am saying is that an exhaustive list of skaters who have studied (or are studying) at the college/university level (or beyond) would be extreeeeeeeemely long. My great respect to all of them. 🙇

Off the top of my head, some of the names who I believe have not been mentioned in the thread yet (sorry if I missed previous mentions?):

- When training in Canton, Tessa Virtue was taking undergrad coursework at the University of Windsor -- she would drive back and forth across the border to attend her classes. IIRC, she did complete her Bachelor's degree (relatively recently?), and now is enrolled in an MBA program.​

- ZhaoKai Pang (Junior Worlds medalist in dance for Canada) is in medical school at the University of British Columbia.​

- Katie McBeath of the U.S. has her Bachelor's degree, and is now going for her Master's (along with continuing her competitive skating career).​

- Kevin Shum of the U.S. graduated from MIT within the last couple of years.​

- Ellie Pogrebinsky of the U.S. very recently completed her undergraduate studies in Kinesiology, at the University of San Francisco.
ETA (on Sep 21):
Ellie currently is applying to doctoral programs in physiotherapy.​

- Jacob Simon of the U.S. very recently completed his undergraduate studies (at UCCS, I think).
ETA (on Sep 21):
Today Jacob's Instastory has a photo of his UCCS diploma, which is dated Aug 7, 2020.
He graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Communication.​
ETA (on Sep 29):
Jacob later perma-posted his diploma as well.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFkm0J9jvqI/ (Sep 25)​


... Armin Mahbanoozadeh, Dartmouth, (was accepted, but gave up his spot to continue training, re-enrolled in 2013); unsure if he has completed his undergraduate work

... Christina Gao: Harvard, Bachelor degree, Finance ...

Last I knew, Christina Gao was working in the financial/business sector -- but I am 99% sure that her B.A. from 2017 was not in Finance.
(IIRC, Harvard does not offer an undergraduate major in finance.)

Armin M. graduated from Dartmouth in 2017.

.... Mirai Nagasu: Univ of Colorado at Colorado Springs, business classes, (unclear as to if she completed her undergraduate work)

... Angela Wang, Univ Colorado Colorado Springs, classes in Exercise Science (not available as if she completed her degree) ...

IIRC, Mirai very recently has said that she is on the verge of finishing her undergrad studies.

IIRC, Angela very recently completed her undergrad studies ... or is very close to doing so.


... Kiira Korpi is studying for a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in a school in NY.

I seem to recall that it is the New School (in NYC) where Kiira is studying???​
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
General comment that this thread could go on and on ad infinitum (and I would be perfectly happy :yes: if it did)...

What I am saying is that an exhaustive list of skaters who have studied (or are studying) at the college/university level (or beyond) would be extreeeeeeeemely long. My great respect to all of them. :bow:

I think that about two-thirds of U.S. high school students go on to college the following year. No reason why the statistics would be different for ice skaters.

After all, except for a tiny, tiny handful of youthful athletes who are so outstanding that they can use their sports achievements as a springboard to a future career (for instance, as a sports broadcaster), skaters have the same options as anyone else when the skating is done -- they can get a job or go back to school.
 

Ic3Rabbit

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Charlie White has graduated from U. of Michigan with his Political Science degree recently IIRC and before Meryl graduated.

Ryan Bradley: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Business degree.

Andrew Poje: BS in Biomedical Sciences. Currently working on his Master's Degree in Innovation and Entrepreneuership at Smith School of Business, Queens University.

ETA: Last I can remember Kaitlyn Weaver was completing a BA in linguistics(?) at the University of Waterloo, she has studied both Russian and Spanish.
 

Nigel

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Corrected Christina Gao Her degree from Harvard...BA in Economics ;-)


And, my point in creating the list above...so many casual observers of skating fail to realize that many skaters do indeed go on to higher education, either in parallel to their competitive careers or post competitive careers. I don't think that fact is emphasized enough ;-)
 

vla13

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 1, 2018
Jason is still taking online classes from UCCS, I think he mentioned it in a Q&A recently.
 

Flying Feijoa

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Sep 22, 2019
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New-Zealand
I think that about two-thirds of U.S. high school students go on to college the following year. No reason why the statistics would be different for ice skaters.

Most of the examples listed are North American/Western Hemisphere skaters, though. It would be interesting to see if the tertiary education rate varies for skaters from countries with different cultural/economic trends, particularly regarding skating demographics. For instance, I wonder if in Russia (with considerable state funding for figure skating even at sub-national level) skaters might come from a slightly wider range of socioeconomic backgrounds (e.g. Kolyada's dad was a carpenter (I think), while Kostornaia rides horses). Like it or not, educational status is strongly dependant on family income level. In America at least, only the upper middle class can generally afford to skate - the same demographic which tends to do well academically and can also pay for university. Other people can't afford both skating and a quality education (especially when the US education sector is so privatised :scowl:)
 

bouncy

☀️
On the Ice
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Oct 4, 2019
Thank you VERY MUCH for the info!! Tatsuki Machida is brilliant! A brilliant skater and persona. Glad to hear about his book. What exactly is a title of the book? I assume no translation available in any other language (yet)..

Thank you - I'm glad you asked! Yes, he's brilliant brilliant. "A human being of the highest character", as P Mills put in his tribute to Tatsuki when he retired from pro skating in 2018.
The book is called A Research Introduction to Artistic Sports, and covers quite a broad scope, including copyright issues, sport management, sustainability of rinks, preservation of the FS culture, etc. There is also a program analysis on Rippon's Afternoon of a Faun in this book. And yes, it's only available in Japanese *sigh*. Here's a video of Tatsuki introducing it if you'd like to get a glimpse of the book, and himself ofc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me7kEDgwO90
This might go well off-topic for this thread (pardon my rambling...!!), but I'm just so happy to see people from international communities still talk about him.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
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Country
Olympics
Most of the examples listed are North American/Western Hemisphere skaters, though. It would be interesting to see if the tertiary education rate varies for skaters from countries with different cultural/economic trends, particularly regarding skating demographics. For instance, I wonder if in Russia (with considerable state funding for figure skating even at sub-national level) skaters might come from a slightly wider range of socioeconomic backgrounds (e.g. Kolyada's dad was a carpenter (I think), while Kostornaia rides horses). Like it or not, educational status is strongly dependant on family income level. In America at least, only the upper middle class can generally afford to skate - the same demographic which tends to do well academically and can also pay for university. Other people can't afford both skating and a quality education (especially when the US education sector is so privatised :scowl:)

I wouldn't say that is 100% true. Myself and other top level skaters have done both, and we weren't from rich or even upper middle class families.

ETA: And I'm talking about being able to do so before becoming elite level.
 

TallyT

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
Most of the examples listed are North American/Western Hemisphere skaters, though. It would be interesting to see if the tertiary education rate varies for skaters from countries with different cultural/economic trends, particularly regarding skating demographics. For instance, I wonder if in Russia (with considerable state funding for figure skating even at sub-national level) skaters might come from a slightly wider range of socioeconomic backgrounds (e.g. Kolyada's dad was a carpenter (I think), while Kostornaia rides horses). Like it or not, educational status is strongly dependant on family income level. In America at least, only the upper middle class can generally afford to skate - the same demographic which tends to do well academically and can also pay for university. Other people can't afford both skating and a quality education (especially when the US education sector is so privatised :scowl:)

Those who are counted as elite sports performers, at least in some countries, can of course get scholarships and be helped out by special programs at many universities: even those in less high-profile sports can be accepted to these here. I read a couple of them in Australia discussing how the programs and liaison people within the university did make it easier for them to study while still competing (still very hard!)
 

Flying Feijoa

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Sep 22, 2019
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New-Zealand
I wouldn't say that is 100% true. Myself and other top level skaters have done both, and we weren't from rich or even upper middle class families.

ETA: And I'm talking about being able to do so before becoming elite level.

Definitely not 100%, for sure. I guess it's a bit like education - some families on a relatively limited budget may still choose to invest a larger proportion of their income on it for the sake of their child's dream/future.

Would you say that skating (beginner to e.g. novice/junior) has a lower financial barrier to entry in Canada compared to other Western countries? I got that impression, but but I'm not sure if my perception is biased due to being currently based around Toronto, where there seems to be an arena every few subway stops. It seems like both aspiring and elite skaters here can choose between a more affordable club based out of a city-owned rink e.g. Richmond Training Centre/Scarborough FSC, or a costlier private one like Granite/TCC, depending on their budget. Not sure if the same is true in other parts of the country though.
 
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