First Lady Michelle Obama has teamed up with D.C.-bred rapper Wale for a White House event taking place on Thursday to promote higher education.
As part of her Reach Higher initiative, FLOTUS has tapped Wale, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Manuel Contreras, a rising senior at Brown University, to sit on a panel to encourage a group of 130-plus invited high school teens to further their education after graduation. E! News co-host, and North Carolina A&T alum, Terrence Jenkins will moderate the discussion as invited students from urban, rural, foster, homeless and special needs backgrounds listen to the panelists speak on the importance of extending their education beyond a high school diploma.
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“This event will focus on sharing tools and strategies students can use to successfully transition to college and the resources they will need to complete the next level of their education,” The Hill reports the White House saying in a statement.
Wale, who attended Robert Morris University, Virgina State University and Bowie State University before dropping out to pursue a music career, will also perform a concert for the students at the all-day event.
While the rapper is not a college graduate himself, he’s made it his duty to use his platform to inspire young people to reach their highest potential. Earlier this year, following the Baltimore riots that erupted after Freddie Gray’s death, Wale accompanied Pastor Jamal Bryant on a trip to local Frederick Douglas High School to hear first-hand what the students were experiencing and what could be done to help increase their opportunities for success.
Wale’s upcoming event with First Lady Obama is a part of her continued push to make higher education cool for students both in the United States and globally regardless of their social and economic background.