Venus Williams has been a busy woman over the past few years, and there's more than a successful international tennis career on her plate.
The 35-year-old apparently went back to school, as she took online college courses through Indiana University East and completed her degree this summer, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Williams made it to campus for the first time on Aug. 15, when she collected her degree before jetting off to the Western & Southern Open as a tune-up for the U.S. Open.
Williams previously earned an associate degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale back in 2007, but said in a press release that improving her education was important to her.
"It was always my dream to have a business degree, and I ended up going to art school so many times, but in the back of my head I felt like I needed the tools to be a better leader, to be a better planner, to be better at all of the things I wanted to do in my businesses because I'm so hands-on," Williams said in a press release from IU East.
The university participates in a program with the WTA and Women's Tennis Benefits Association which provides online degree completion programs to the players on the WTA tour. According to the press release, Williams is the first player to graduate from the program and there are 15 other players enrolled in courses through the program.
Williams has a head start on most graduates as far as finances are concerned; the world No. 23 has earned over $30 million over her career in tournament prize money alone.
(h/t IU East)
