petrochemical companies in the United States. His mother is Karen (née Haight) Huntsman, daughter of David B. Haight, an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Through his father, Huntsman is the great-great-great-grandson of early LDS Church leader Parley P. Pratt. In 1975, Huntsman earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank of the Boy Scouts of America. Huntsman attended Highland High School in Salt Lake City but dropped out before graduating to perform as a keyboard player in a rock band. Huntsman later obtained a G.E.D. and enrolled at the University of Utah, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity like his father. Huntsman served as a missionary for the LDS Church in Taiwan for two years and later transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in international politics in 1987. Political career Early career While young Huntsman was visiting the White House in 1971 during his father's service as special assistant to the president, Henry Kissinger confided to the 11-year-old that he was secretly traveling to China. He worked as a White House staff assistant in President Ronald Reagan's administration in 1983. From 1987 to 1988, Huntsman and his family lived and worked in Taipei, Taiwan. During the 1988 presidential election, he was a state delegate at the 1988 Republican National Convention. George H. W. Bush Administration Under President George H. W. Bush, Huntsman was deputy assistant secretary in the International Trade Administration from 1989 to 1990. He subsequently served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, serving from 1990 to 1991. In June 1992, Bush appointed Huntsman to become U.S. ambassador to Singapore, which he was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in August. At 32 years old, he became the youngest U.S. Ambassador to serve in over 100 years. George W. Bush Administration In January 2001, after George W. Bush took office as president, The Washington Post reported there was a strong possibility Huntsman would be appointed to be the new United States Ambassador to China. In March, he reportedly turned down the nomination to be the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia. On March 28, Bush appointed Huntsman to be one of two Deputy United States trade representatives in his administration; he served in this role from 2001 to 2003. Governor of Utah In March 2003,