First Lady Michelle Obama and Q-Tip honored five lucky 10th and 11th graders on Thursday (Sept. 8) for The National Student Poets Program. In its fifth year, the National Student Poets Program selected top teens from various regions of the U.S. based on the abilities of their talent. Those with excellent written and spoken word skills were then honored at the White House by Mrs. Obama herself. For 2016, the winners included Maya Eashwaran from Alpharetta, Ga., Maya Stella Binion from Chicago, Ill., Gopal Raman from Dallas, Texas, Maya Salameh from San Diego, Calif, and Joey Resiberg from Towson, Md. Q-Tip’s was elated to take part in this occasion. The hip-hop veteran currently holds the position of Artistic Director for Hip-Hop Culture at the Kennedy Center. His aim in this role is to help individuals learn the history and visualize hip-hop’s future. “With hip-hop constantly changing and evolving, it is easy to forget the history and legacy that precedes it,” said the rap legend in a press release. “I want to begin at the beginning of the culture, to help people see its roots, better understand its present and responsibly create its future.”
