Batten Advisory Board member Nicole Hurd was recently named a “Champion of Change” at White House ceremony. Dr. Hurd is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the College Advising Corps (CAC), which seeks to increase the number of low-income and underrepresented high school students who enter and complete college.

Hurd began the effort at the University of Virginia in 2005 and now reaches more than 185,000 students across the nation. Hurd has led CAC from a pilot project to the largest college access program in the country, placing hundreds of near peer advisers in high schools from coast-to-coast. In the 2016-2017 school year, CAC’s 600 advisers will assist over 180,000 low-income, first generation, and underrepresented students in navigating the path to college. Under her leadership, CAC has launched innovative virtual advising work and has received numerous accolades, including a $10 million investment which was announced at the White House College Opportunity Summit and the 2012 National Service Impact Award from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Eleven individuals from across the country were honored at the White House as “Champions of Change for College Opportunity” who have done important work in their own communities to strengthen access to high-quality education. These individuals were selected by the White House for their leadership and tireless work to expand opportunity for students from all backgrounds to advance to and through college. The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.