From Juvie and Dropout to Berkeley Ph.D.
Dr. Victor Rios rose from the streets to academia, becoming one of the nation’s most trusted voices on resilience, student empowerment, and educational transformation.
Dr. Victor Rios is on a mission to help schools turn adversity into achievement for every student.
A tenured and award-winning professor at UC Santa Barbara, Dr. Rios once stood on the edge of fatalism as a high school dropout and juvenile delinquent. Defying the odds, he earned his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and became one of the nation’s leading researchers on at-promise youths, resilience, and educational transformation.
Today, Dr. Rios partners with school districts and superintendents nationwide to dismantle systemic barriers and ignite new pathways to prosperity, well-being, and academic success for at-promise students and their families.
A sought-after keynote speaker and trusted advisor, Dr. Rios equips education leaders with actionable strategies to inspire hope, build strong relationships, and create school cultures where all students thrive—especially those growing up in poverty, trauma, or marginalization.
Through compelling storytelling, research-driven insights, and a profound understanding of the challenges educators face, Dr. Rios empowers districts to reimagine discipline, increase engagement, and improve outcomes for young people growing up in struggle. Dr. Rios inspires transformation, and delivers the roadmap to achieve it.
Stories that Inspire Change
Whether it’s a keynote on a global stage, a children’s book read at bedtime, or an episode of my podcast, each project shares a story with the power to inspire, educate, and transform lives.
Keynote Adresses
Inspirational keynotes and training for Educators and Organizational Leaders.
Transformational Leadership
Research-based Solutions for Fostering Individual, Professional, and Systemic Change
Professional
Learning
Dr. Rios coaches individuals and leaders in promoting ecosystems of belonging and success.
