Well-known for playing the character Pray Tell on FX’s Pose drama series, Porter will bring his message of living authentically to thousands of college admission counseling professionals at NACAC Conference 2022 in Houston, TX.
Arlington, VA (May 19, 2022) – Billy Porter, an artist with a remarkable life story defined by determination, talent, and resilience, will be part of a main stage event for the annual conference that brings together college admission counseling professionals from across the world.
The main stage session featuring a conversation with Billy Porter will give the more than 6,000 expected conference attendees the opportunity to hear his powerful message of living authentically.
College admission counseling professionals gather at the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) conference each year to collaborate on strategies to dismantle inequities in access to higher education. This work requires courage, collaboration, and an unrelenting commitment to understanding and removing barriers to educational opportunity, especially for underrepresented or marginalized students. NACAC Conference 2022 will take place in Houston, TX from Sept. 22 – 24.
In his recently published memoir, Unprotected, Porter writes of his childhood when he was “seen as a young boy in Pittsburgh who was seen as different, who didn’t fit in… Porter came of age in a world where simply being himself was a constant struggle.”
NACAC’s CEO, Angel B. Pérez, invited Porter to speak at the conference because of how Porter’s story and message represents the conference theme of Resilience and supports NACAC’s commitment to supporting professionals and the diverse students they serve.
“Despite the challenges of a pandemic, our country’s racial reckoning, and a growing number of discriminatory laws and policies in state governments, I’m more convinced than ever that NACAC’s power to advocate, convene, educate, and lead will change the direction of our profession, and, in turn, impact millions of students across the globe,” Pérez said. “Billy Porter’s personal story of resilience, overcoming adversity, and living an unapologetically authentic life is exactly the inspiration our members need this year, and I can’t wait for him to join us in Houston.”
Information for conference attendees, presenters, sponsors, and exhibitors:
More about Billy Porter
Billy Porter is an actor, singer, director, composer, and playwright. He is the winner of the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Pray Tell in Pose—the first openly gay Black man to be nominated and win in any lead acting category. Porter is also the winner of the 2013 Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his groundbreaking performance as Lola in Kinky Boots. As a director, among other shows, Porter helmed the revival of Suzan-Lori Parks’s Topdog/Underdog at Boston’s Huntington Theatre, where he was awarded the Elliot Norton Award for Best Director.
About NACAC
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), founded in 1937, is an organization of more than 25,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing postsecondary education. NACAC’s mission is to empower college admission counseling professionals through education, advocacy, and community.