An interview to Dr. Rice   (click to watch)

Condoleezza Rice was born in 1954 and grew up in Alabama during a time when segregation, or the separation of people by race, was widespread. She has said she felt the need to be "twice as good" to succeed. A college student by age 15, she went on to become the first female, and first non-white, provost, or high-ranking university leader, at Stanford University .

Condoleezza Rice is one of the most powerful women in the world. She serves as the United States Secretary of State, the President's main adviser on foreign affairs. The position puts her fourth in line for the President's job. She works with foreign governments on treaties and promotes friendly relationships, economic trade and peace with the nations of the world.

Rice's job keeps her on the move. After just six months as Secretary of State, she visited 38 countries and traveled 170, 390 miles , according to her staff. Before becoming the first African American woman to serve as Secretary of State, Rice held a number of other top-level positions. She served as National Security Adviser during the first four years of President George W. Bush's administration. In that role, she helped the President make important decisions about how to deal with other countries.

Rice was born on November 14, 1954 in Birmingham , Alabama during a time when segregation, or separation of races, was widespread. She said that she felt she had to be "twice as good" to succeed. And that's exactly what she did.

At age 15, she attended college with the hope of becoming a concert pianist. Her ambition shifted after she took an international politics class. By age 19, Rice earned a degree in political science at the University of Denver .

Rice's life story is filled with history-making firsts. She was the first female, and first non-white provost at Stanford University . A provost is a high-ranking managing officer at a university. Her appointment to National Security Adviser in 2001 made Rice the first-ever woman and African American to hold the position. Then in January of 2005, she became the first African American woman to be Secretary of State. Who knows what Rice's next "first" will be!