Mikaela Shiffrin Receives Honorary Ivy League Degree

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 2:36 PM ET

Mikaela Shiffrin shall henceforth be referred to as Dr. Winningest Ski Racer of All Time.

On Sunday, June 15, 2025, Shiffrin attended the 2025 Commencement Ceremony at Dartmouth College where she was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. The degree is an honorary one usually given to individuals for significant contributions to society in fields outside of traditional academic fields.

Shiffrin was awarded the degree "for building a legacy beyond the slopes, teaching us how to go beyond our comfort zone and reminding us that it is not how we fall, but how we get up, Dartmouth is proud to award you the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters," said Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock.

Shiffrin's late father attended Dartmouth (class of '76), and ski raced for the school. He also later worked in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock hospital as an anesthesiologist. Shiffrin made an Instagram post about the degree and honoring her dad. The Commencement ceremony coincidentally took place on Father's day.

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A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷ (@mikaelashiffrin)

"Hey Dad…I received an honorary degree from Dartmouth today. Who’d have ever thought we’d have two Dr. Shiffrins in the fam? (One went through 12+ years of school, one skis down a mountain)

Felt a bit closer to you in the past 24 hrs—for the first time in a really long time—and I’m so grateful for that.

Happy Father’s day. I miss you, always," she wrote.

Alongside Shiffrin, six others were awarded honorary degrees. Amongst them were Olympic rower Judy Geer, former professional baseball player William Greason, and actress Sandra Oh, who also gave the commencement speech.

Shiffrin attended Burke Mountain Academy, near Dartmouth, for part of elementary and middle school. Her family relocated back to Colorado when Shiffrin was 13, but Shiffrin shortly returned to Burke to continue training as a ski racer.