"My parents had me absolutely convinced that even if I couldn’t have a hamburger at the Woolworth’s lunch counter, I could be president of the United States of America if I wanted to be."

Condoleezza tells the story of her unlikely path from a childhood growing up in one of the US's most segregated cities to a concert pianist to a Soviet expert who'd become the second female US secretary of state. She credits her parents ~ who were both teachers who saw education as the driver of opportunity ~ for raising her to rise up as a leader.

MAKERS | Public domain

When President George W. Bush appointed Condoleezza as his top diplomat, she became the second woman {after Madeleine Albright} and second African American {after Colin Powell} to hold the high-profile gig. An expert in Soviet politics who taught at Stanford before being serving in the federal government's security council, she was secretary of state for 4 eventful years from 2005-2009.

US State Department | public domain |