Celebrating the work and progress made in improving the lives of boys and young men of color

Thanks to an Instagram video, doctoral student Bryant Valencia now gets to meet President Barack Obama, John Legend, and Stephen Curry. The Educational Policy Studies & Practice doctoral student created the Instagram video for a competition for the Obama Foundation's My Brother's Keeper Alliance conference, known as MBK Rising! He and 21 other video-contest winners received free tickets, travel, and accommodations to attend the MBK Rising! event in Oakland, California.

When making selections for the winners, the Obama Foundation was looking for young men of color or adults who are doing exceptional work for young men of color. Valencia has spent the last five years building Masculinity Initiatives, an initiative out of the UA Early Academic Outreach Office to engage young men from marginalized backgrounds and increase their pathways to college.

View Valencia's winning video.