Manuel Contreras, a senior at Brown University, will take part in a White House “Beating the Odds” panel with First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and others on Thursday, July 23, at 11 a.m. Contreras is a leader of 1vyG, an organization that supports first-generation college students.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Manuel Contreras, a rising senior at Brown University, will take part in a White House panel discussion Thursday with First Lady Michelle Obama; Arne Duncan, U.S. secretary of education; and musical artist Wale. The panel will address more than 130 college-bound students from across the country who are participating in the 2015 Beating the Odds Summit, part of the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative.

Contreras is a co-founder of 1vyG, an organization for students who are the first in their family to attend college. 1vyG provides important support for first-generation students who step onto campus and find themselves in a wholly different world from their parents and family. Contreras and other 1vyG members organized the first successful national conference for nearly 300 first-generation students earlier this year at Brown.

Students attending the summit will include foster, homeless, rural, urban, special needs, and under-represented youth who have overcome considerable obstacles to endure through high school and qualify for college.

The day-long Beating the Odds Summit will streamed live and covered on social media:

Who
First Lady Michelle Obama
Arne Duncan, U.S. secretary of education
Manuel Contreras, Brown University senior and co-founder of 1vyG
Musical artist Wale
Terrence Jenkins, E! News host (moderator)

What
Panel discussion during the Beating the Odds Summit, part of the Reach Higher initiative

Where
The White House
Washington, D.C.

When
11 a.m. Thursday, July 23, 2015, covered online:
• Livestream: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live
• Hashtag: #ReachHigher
• Twitter: @FLOTUS, @ReachHigher
• Instagram: @MichelleObama, @ReachHigher2020

The Beating the Odds Summit is a daylong event, including workshops, panels, and a concert by Wale.