Michelle Obama is making a TV show for Instagram, and it’s going to make you cry
She may not be First Lady anymore, but Michelle Obama is still working hard to help the youth of America. This month, she will launch a series on IGTV (Instagram’s long-form video platform) called A Year of Firsts. Episodes of the show will revolve around real, first-generation college freshmen across the United States. The topic is extremely personal to Obama herself.
"The first year of college is exciting, but also a little nerve-racking," the caption of Obama's January 7th announcement reads on Instagram. "As a first-generation college student myself, I know how intimidating it can be to try to navigate through a new place and make new friends, all while trying to figure out who you are and who you want to be."
Obama teamed up with ATTN: to bring the series, part of her Reach Higher initiative, to the social media platform. Reach Higher aims to help youths in America achieve educational goals past high school by providing support systems within the school counseling profession, celebrating students’ success via social media and specialized events, and raising awareness about college access tools like FAFSA and Up Next.
“I’m so excited that @reachhigher is teaming up with @attndotcom to share the stories of four first-year college students: Robert, Linette, Regan, and Haseeb,” her post said. “Can’t wait for you all to meet them and learn more about what taking that leap really feels like, day in and day out.”
Not only will A Year of Firsts follow these students through their day-to-day academic stresses and new relationships, but the series will also cover financial difficulties associated with college, as well as mental health issues.
"I’m so proud of these students," Obama said in an official statement, according to Forbes. "By sharing their stories, they’re helping others see that the ups and downs of the first year of college are something everyone goes through—and they’re creating a supportive community for others facing similar challenges."
The six-episode series is set to debut on the Former First Lady’s IGTV channel in mid-January and run through June. Needless to say, we’ll be refreshing our Instagram feed until the first episode airs. We definitely don’t want to miss this.
