University of San Francisco’s Silk Speaker Series Welcomes Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Wie West on October 17

SAN FRANCISCO (October 12, 2021) – The Silk Speaker Series at the University of San Francisco (USF) will welcome Olympic gold medalist figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and professional golfer Michelle Wie West for an in-person and virtual event on Sunday, October 17 from 5:00 to 6:15 p.m. Moderated by USF alumna and NBC News correspondent Vicky Nguyen, the discussion will focus on how these extraordinary women are paving the way for others, and using their voice and powerful platforms for social change. The event is open to the public, and registration is required: https://rsvp.usfca.edu/event/ea36244b-6fdf-4958-a4cc-5fd4bded4e88/regProcessStep1

In addition to capturing the gold medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, Kristi Yamaguchi is also a World Champion and two-time U.S. National Champion and member of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Kristi is also a New York Times best-selling author with three children’s picture books, Dream Big, Little Pig!, as well as It’s A Big World, Little Pig! and Cara’s Kindness. In 1996, she created Always Dream, a foundation whose mission is to ensure children from low income families have access to high quality books in the home environment and extensive family engagement support. Always Dream believes in the impact of building a love of reading and engaging children and parents at an early stage. Kristi was recognized with the “Community Spirit” Award from the U.S. Olympic Committee, and most recently was honored with the Heisman Humanitarian Award in 2019.

Professional golfer Michelle Wie West has been raising the profile of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) since childhood. Holding the record for the youngest player ever to qualify for a LPGA Tour event, Michelle rose to fame shortly before her 16th birthday when she turned professional. She won her first major at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, and later that year, she won the Best Female Golfer Espy Award. Within two years of graduating from Stanford, Michelle won her first major and reached a career high of #1 on the LPGA money list. She has won an additional four LPGA titles including most recently the 2018 HSBC Women’s World Championship. Recently, she became the first woman of color to become an analyst at the Masters in 2019 for CBS Sports. Michelle recently launched the Hoodie Project with the LPGA to help promote women’s golf and attract more girls of color to the sport. The #HoodieForGolf Campaign has sold over 10,000 hoodies and raised over $225,000 for the LPGA Renee Powell Fund and the Clearview Legacy Foundation. These charities work towards giving young girls from minority backgrounds the opportunity to learn and excel in the game of golf.

Funded by a transformational gift to USF by investment expert Jeff Silk ’87 and his wife, Naomi, the Silk Speaker Series at the University of San Francisco brings international thought leaders in business, finance and global issues to USF students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the university. Now in its fifth year, the Silk Speaker Series has featured speakers including NBA star Stephen Curry and Head Coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, soccer champion and equality activist Megan Rapinoe, tennis legend and equality champion Billie Jean King, 66th Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice, NBA great Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr., and Former Chair of the Federal Reserve and recently appointed United States Treasury Secretary Dr. Janet L. Yellen.

Event Details:

Sunday, October 17, 2021 - 5:00 to 6:15 p.m
In-person and online. Registration is required.
War Memorial Gym at the Sobrato Center on the University of San Francisco campus
2335 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA 94118

Register here: https://rsvp.usfca.edu/event/ea36244b-6fdf-4958-a4cc-5fd4bded4e88/regProcessStep1

Journalists interested in attending the event should contact Kellie Samson at ksamson@usfca.edu.

About the Moderator

Moderator and USF alumna Vicky Nguyen is an NBC News Investigative and Consumer Correspondent based in New York. Vicky has been leading the way in covering anti-Asian violence across the country. In March 2021, she hosted the one-hour primetime special, entitled The Racism Virus, featuring a mix of community leaders including: Nobel Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, basketball player Jeremy Lin, as well as actors Olivia Munn and Margaret Cho.

In 2020, her investigation into the dangers of foul balls during MLB games earned her and her team a prestigious National Press Club Award. Prior to joining NBC News in 2019, Nguyen was a reporter at NBC Bay Area station KNTV, where her investigative reporting led to multiple state and federal investigations and to changes in national policies. Nguyen has received numerous awards for her reporting, including a National Emmy, the Gerald Loeb Award for Business and Financial Journalism, and the duPont Columbia Award for Broadcast Journalism.

About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is a private, Jesuit Catholic university that reflects the diversity, optimism, and opportunities of the city that surrounds it. USF offers more than 230 undergraduate, graduate, professional, and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, law, education, and nursing and health professions. At USF, each course is an intimate learning community in which top professors encourage students to turn learning into positive action, so the students graduate equipped to do well in the world — and inspired to change it for the better. For more information, visit usfca.edu.