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Sept. 16, 2014

Alumnus Tyler Oakley chats with First Lady about college

He’s on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and, of course, YouTube. He’s social media sensation Tyler Oakley, a 2011 communications graduate from Michigan State University.

With millions of mostly teens and twenty-somethings following his posts, vlogs, tweets and photo feeds, he is a highly sought after social media guru. A few days ago, First Lady Michelle Obama invited him to chat with her on YouTube about the importance of higher education.

The two shared college stories and promoted Mrs. Obama’s Reach Higher Initiative. It’s 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 at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.

Oakley is an award-winning video blogger and an advocate for LGBT rights.