Columbia, MD (September 17, 2015) – Today, as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative, Time Inc.’s (NYSE:TIME) Essence hosted a higher education panel during her visit to Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. The conversation kicks off the annual Essence College Tour, which will visit three campuses this fall and feature an exclusive Q&A video with the First Lady talking about her own college experience and giving advice for students and parents. 

 

The panelists included Howard Community College President Kate Heatherington, First Lady Michelle Obama, Howard Community College student Trecya Jordan and Howard County General Hospital President Steve Snelgrove. They fielded questions from an audience of 30 high school seniors on topics ranging from choosing the right college to applying for federal aid. 

 

The First Lady emphasized that “Education is the best investment you can make in your future…and it’s certain.” She added that “colleges aren’t looking for the perfect student. Colleges are looking for your authentic story…. Don’t be afraid to share your struggles. And don’t be afraid to fail. It’s about how you bounce back. It’s about resilience.”

 

The 30-minute discussion was moderated by Essence Features Editor Lauren Williams and live-streamed on Essence.com. 

 

The Essence College Tour is a platform to empower African-American college students to lead successful, focused and healthy lives. The 2015 tour will hit three schools: Hampton University (October 16), Clark Atlanta University (October 24) and University of Maryland (November 6).

 

The Essence College Tour is a platform to empower African-American college students to lead successful, focused and healthy lives. The 2015 tour will hit three schools: Hampton University (October 16), Clark Atlanta University (October 24) and University of Maryland (November 6).

 

The Reach Higher initiative is the First Lady’s effort to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether in a professional training program, at a community college, or at a four-year college or university. In today’s economy, a high school diploma just isn’t enough. Students have to “reach higher,” which is why the First Lady is working to rally the country around the President’s “North Star” goal—that by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

 

For more information, visit Essence.com. Join the conversation @essencemag on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at #EssenceOnCampus and #ReachHigher.

 

 

 About Essence Communications Inc.  

Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the number one media company dedicated to African-American women, with a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events and online. The company’s flagship publication, Essence magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Festival, Essence Black Women in Hollywood and Black Women in Music, Window on Our Women and Smart Beauty consumer insights series, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD). For 45 years, Essence, which has a brand reach of 14.2 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information and specific solutions relating to every area of African-American women’s lives. Additional information about ECI and Essence is available at www.Essence.com.

 

 About Time Inc.  

Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is one of the world’s leading media companies, with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 140 million visitors each month, including over 60 websites. Our influential brands include People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple, Southern Living, Entertainment Weekly, Travel + Leisure, Cooking Light, Fortune and Food & Wine, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom such as Decanter, Horse & Hound and Wallpaper*. Time Inc. is home to celebrated franchises and events including the Fortune 500, Time 100, People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, the Essence Festival and the biennial Fortune Global Forum. Hundreds of thousands of people attend our events every year. We have been extending the power of our brands through various investments and acquisitions, including the formation of Sports Illustrated Play, a new company devoted to youth and amateur sports, and the acquisition of inVNT, a company that specializes in live media. We also provide content marketing, targeted local print and digital advertising programs, branded book publishing and marketing and support services, including subscription sales services for magazines and other products, retail distribution and marketing services and customer service and fulfillment services, for ourselves and third-party clients, including other magazine publishers.

 

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 CONTACT:

Dana Baxter

DBaxter@Essence.com