Jessica Nguyen
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Robby Novak, also known as Kid President, will deliver a motivational speech at Cal Poly’s campus Wednesday, Feb. 25. The event is sponsored by Associated Students, Inc. (ASI).
ASI Event Student Manager Arin Miller says Kid President has been her list since fall quarter of 2013.
“I just thought it would be a really cool engagement given his inspirational videos,” Miller said. “Finally, it was during Fall (2014) that we realized he was starting his campus tours and so we’re one of the first stops on his campus tour.”
The event will take place at Chumash Auditorium from 9-10 p.m. and is free for students with a Cal Poly ID card.
“It’s a really exciting way for students to see such a well-known YouTube star,” Miller said. “His brother Brad is also coming to talk, and he’s going to do most of the speaking that night talking about the behind the scenes of how Kid President came to be (and) how his inspiration reached YouTube.”
Sometimes we make things tough for each other. What if, instead, we made things awesome for each other?
— Kid President (@iamkidpresident) February 19, 2015
Novak started making videos with his brother-in-law Brad Montague on YouTube and was later discovered by SoulPancake, a multiplatform media company founded by Rainn Wilson, better known as Dwight from “The Office.” The company sponsors popular media stars and launched a YouTube channel that hosts different shows.
The Kid President show series currently has more than 2.5 million views with 80 released online videos. “A Pep Talk from Kid President to You” went viral with nearly 35 million views.
“It’s a motivational pep talk from Kid President encouraging us to dream big, do good and help one another,” architecture junior Sophia Liu said. “Kid President sees the beauty and the good in life and wants us to do the same.”
On Feb. 3, Novak published a book titled “Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome,” co-written with Montague.
Through ASI’s contract with Novak, hundreds of books were purchased and will be distributed to the first 385 people at the event, ASI Program Coordinator Missi Bullock said.
Can’t believe they let us make a book. Can’t believe you made it a NYT best seller. THANK YOU! http://t.co/BTjuiyNybc pic.twitter.com/VFYVh4pqbr
— Kid President (@iamkidpresident) Feb. 20, 2015
“He’s 11 years old, which is really cool,” Bullock said. “His message is about spreading joy and being awesome. The message aligns with the Mustang Way, which ASI Events supports and promotes among students.”
Despite his positive demeanor, Novak suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare brittle bone disease. He has fractured more than 70 bones.
“It’s so refreshing seeing life from the perspective of a kid, who may be suffering a physical disease but doesn’t let that destroy his spirit one bit,” Liu said. “Despite the hardships, he keeps going at life, dancing, playing and doing what makes him happy.”