The Kennedy School of Government (KSG) frequently hosts eminent government officials and political luminaries; it's even welcomed a prince or two.

Now the KSG has a star athlete in its midst.

Nick Lowery, a former player for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets, is pursuing his master's degree in public administration at the KSG.

Lowery retired from the NFL in 1997, after a 17-year, record-setting career as a place-kicker.

Lowery attended Dartmouth as an undergraduate, and during the NFL off-season worked with Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton on community service initiatives.

He has a particular interest in issues affecting Native American youth, and Clinton recently named Lowery one of the nine directors of the Foundation for American Indian Education, run under the auspices of the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Indian Affairs.

Lowery, who himself is not of Native American descent, founded Native Vision several years ago, a foundation aimed at enhancing the health and well-being of American Indian youth.

"We're trying to increase [young people's] capacity to ask their own questions," Lowery said. "That's what true empowerment is."

The foundation supports reservation-based programs that focus on physical fitness, education and maintaining a healthy standard of living.

As Lowery continues his commitment to public service, he says he wants people to have a stronger connection with their government.

"We need to rebuild the connection and trust and shared values," Lowery said. "A more cooperative relationship with the media is also necessary so that stories that need to be told, can be told."

Lowery says that his years as a sports analyst for ABC and ESPN have given him greater understanding about the role media plays in U.S. culture.

"When you've seen it from both sides, you really have some strong preferences about the press," Lowery said.

Lowery says his father--a former CIA employee--and his next-door neighbor, Byron White--a U.S. Supreme Court justice for more than 30

Years--have been his role models and inspiration to enter public service.

"I got a very powerful sense of what these men gave up for their country," Lowery said. "That is the essence of service."

"Civically, anybody can make a difference," Lowery added.