This is what AFH U produces.
When Kelis Armstrong walked onto the ESPY stage on July 15, 2026, she wasn’t just accepting an award. She was representing every student-athlete who ever chose to show up for their community when no one required them to.
The Howard University graduate and former Division I track and field athlete received the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award — one of the most prestigious sports humanitarian honors in the country — for using sport to advance youth health, safety, and community equity across Washington, D.C. She is an AFH U student-athlete. And this is exactly what AFH U was built for.
Beyond the Track
Kelis Armstrong grew up in Dallas, Texas, as an athlete through and through. She played every sport she could find before track claimed her and carried her all the way to Howard University, one of the nation’s most celebrated HBCUs. But somewhere along the way, Kelis realized that being a great athlete wasn’t enough.
“I knew just being a track athlete wasn’t it,” Armstrong said. “I was definitely made for more.”
Through organizations including Grassroots Health and Run Your City, Kelis built after-school safe spaces, taught health literacy, and engaged student-athletes in service throughout the D.C. community. She didn’t wait until after her athletic career to give back. She did it while competing, while studying, while building a life in a city she adopted as her own.
“Being at an HBCU really does mean a lot,” Armstrong said. “Being able to talk about that while also talking about community service and being out with the D.C. community — being with the kids especially — has made a really big impact on my life.”
What AFH U Is Built For
Athletes for Hope launched AFH U to recognize, support, and celebrate exactly this kind of student-athlete. Not just the ones with the best stats or the biggest scholarships — but the ones who understand that sport gives you a platform, and that platform carries a responsibility.
AFH U connects college athletes to the resources, community, and recognition they need to turn their values into action. It celebrates student-athletes who lead beyond their sport — in their schools, their communities, and the world around them.
Kelis Armstrong is proof of what that investment looks like when it takes root.
“I’ve always told myself every day — I was given this platform for a reason,” Armstrong said. “I want to continue this, reaching out to as many as I can to help.”
A New Chapter
This fall, Kelis heads to Columbia University to pursue a Master of Public Health — taking the same drive that powered her on the track and in the D.C. community to one of the world’s leading public health programs. The work doesn’t stop. It scales.
At Athletes for Hope, we couldn’t be prouder to call Kelis one of our own. Her ESPY win is a celebration of her journey — and a reminder of why AFH U exists.
The platform sport gives you is meant for something bigger than trophies. Kelis Armstrong has always known that.
Celebrate Kelis and share in the moment — congratulate her on social media and let her know her work is being seen.
Read the full story as featured on WJLA 7News →
Learn more about AFH U and how to get involved at athletesforhope.org.