Victor Rios had dropped out of high school. But one teacher helped him turn his life around. Today, he's a sociologist who studies youth and the factors that nurture their potential.

Victor Rios is a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Rios is the author of five books, including Punished: Policing The Lives Of Black And Latino Boys, and Human Targets: Schools, Police, And The Criminalization Of Latino Youth. He is also the creator of Project GRIT, Generating Resilience to Inspire Transformation, which works with educators to develop programs that can positively impact the lives of the young people they serve. Rios received his Ph.D. in comparative ethnic studies from the University of California, Berkeley. He is still in touch with his high school mentor, Ms. Russ.