The Coastal Carolina University HTC Honors College will host Caylin Moore, author of “A Dream Too Big: The Story of an Improbable Journey from Compton to Oxford,” as part of its annual HTC Distinguished Speaker Series on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. in the Lib Jackson Student Union Theater. Moore’s lecture is titled “The Collaboration Between Education and Community,” and it will be followed by a book signing at 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

“Coastal Carolina University and the HTC Honors College work hard to provide opportunities for students who might not think of themselves as college-ready or as honors material,” said Sara Hottinger, Ph.D., dean of the HTC Honors College. “An important part of the education we provide here is to teach our students to dream big about their future.

“Coastal Carolina University students have such compelling stories and so many of them have accomplished much in the face of many obstacles. What we have found, however, is that some of our students don’t believe they have the ability to reach for the loftiest of goals. It is my hope that this year’s HTC Distinguished Speaker Caylin Moore will inspire our students to dream big, bold dreams and to believe they can accomplish everything they aspire to achieve. I am looking forward to meeting him, hearing his story, and learning more about his research and work in the community.”

Growing up in poverty in gang-ridden Compton and south-central Los Angeles, Moore overcame many obstacles to excel as both a student and an athlete. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Texas Christian University, where he played football and was awarded several nationally competitive awards and fellowships, including a Fulbright Summer Institute scholarship.

Moore earned a Master of Science in Latin American Studies from England’s University of Oxford, where he was a 2017 Rhodes Scholar. He is a Ford Foundation Fellow and is pursuing a Ph.D. in sociology at Stanford University. His research examines urban neighborhoods, criminal justice policies, and how such policies impact community social networks.

The event is sponsored by the HTC Honors College, the Spadoni College of Education and Social Sciences, the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.