Hi, My name is Michelle Price. I am raising funds for my son, Micah Johnson, to attend Tuskegee University in the Fall. Earlier this year, I was put on administrative leave, without pay, for 6 months due to a false allegation made by someone who knew nothing about me but my name. Because I am a single mom and the sole provider for my son, this was devastating news. This could not have happened at a more inconvenient time. This was my son's senior year of High School. I knew that he had so many things that needed to be paid for and this would make it very difficult to do. I had to use all of my savings I had for his college to stay afloat during this 6-month period. In addition, to that I had to ax out my credit cards that were reserved for emergencies, in order to pay my bills, his class fee & Graduation fees. After 6 long months my job reinstated me stating that there was no evidence of wrongdoing on my part but they did not reimburse me for my time off without pay.

My son is the one who was hurt the most in this process because the school he has wanted to attend since the 3rd grade, the school of his dreams, Tuskegee University, sent him an acceptance letter and they awarded him $9,000 out of their $41,000 tuition. Since my funds were depleted we started to apply for scholarships and reached out to family members and friends to help. They have been very generous but we are still short. We are now reaching out to our community to help.

Micah is a very brilliant young man who is very active in his community, church, and school. He has done so many things to help other in his short life and I don’t believe this challenge should stop him from reaching his goal of becoming a veterinarian at the college of his dreams. He has done his part to get in and now it is my responsibility as a mom to use every resource I can to make it happen. To give you a better idea of the caliber of a young man Micah is below is one of the essays he wrote in order to gain a scholarship toward his education.

“How I Will Use My Education to Give Back to My Community.” 

“College Education is often used in society to run the way our world works. With the education that I would obtain from my major of Zoology, I could protect the ecosystem in my community by protecting the wildlife that lives there. Making designated wildlife preserves in my community would have a positive impact on the ecosystem, protecting the trees around the animals and agriculture in the area. I could also use a portion of the funding from my career to donate to organizations that exist to service people in my community. The job of being a veterinarian is what I am interested in after finishing my major in Zoology, this directly correlates to the service of the people around me,  “They work hard to address the health and welfare needs of every species of animal. Veterinarians also play critical roles in environmental protection, research, food safety, and public health.” ( Veterinarians: Protecting the health of animals and people | American Veterinary Medical Association) as seen from the quote the role of Veterinarians is beneficial to society and the community around me. 

As I move on into the field of Veterinary medicine I plan to open a clinic that would serve as an animal hospital. This clinic will afford youths from my community the opportunity to learn about the benefit of studying veterinarian Science. This would also provide job opportunities like paid and unpaid internships to youth who are interested in Veterinary medicine. It would not only give an outlet to young black youth in my community, but it could also create a connection between students and colleges at an early age. A percentage of the clinic’s profit would go to the development of the youth in our community. The money would be used to sponsor after-school programs and create scholarships for underprivileged children. I have a strong desire to make a huge impact in my community and I have already started my journey in making that happen. 

I will use my education to give back to my community not only using the education that I would later receive in college, but I have also already started giving back to my community. Giving back to my community is always something that I have in mind. I was raised to always be mission-minded. My mother instilled in me the importance of helping others, showing people compassion, and giving back as much as possible. I am very active in my church, school, and community. I have done global and local missions with my church, Fort Foote Baptist Church, I traveled overseas to Trinidad to help rebuild homes in communities where there is substandard housing. I also traveled to Alabama to help rebuild from the hurricane that devastated that community. Locally I have gone several times to feed the homeless at S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat) an organization in Washington, DC. I am a Junior Deacon at my church and a part of my responsibility is to visit the sick and shut in. I have gone to sit and talk with them and sometimes even pray with them.  I also have been a member of the Kappa League Mentoring Program, the Ft Washington chapter since the 5th grade.

Many different clubs and organizations that I am a part of have been designed to help give back to the communities in my area. The Boy Scouts of America is another one. I have been heavily involved in my community through my Boy Scout Troop 1959, whether it has been giving out food to those in need semi-annually during Christmas and Thanksgiving time or helping set up rooms for the homeless at Ebenezer AME Church’s Warm Nights program with the help of the rest of my Troop. I have always found ways to use my talents and resources to give back to people in my community. I have also been heavily involved in several political campaigns since Elementary School. I have knocked on doors and spoken to the residents in my community about the importance of voting and also being well informed about the candidates. I have worked the polls for past and present Senators, Delegates, County Councilman and County Executives. I sometimes visit Nursing homes and Rehabilitation Centers with my church to sing, do liturgical dances, and give care packages for the residents during the holidays. The people at those facilities are always so happy to see us because we are the only visitors that some of them have had.   These are some of the many things that I have done and will continue to do to give back to my community with the help of a great college education.

In addition to working in the church and the community, I have also managed to work hard as a Scholar Athlete. I was in the Jr. Cadet Police Program through he Sherriff’s Department being awarded Cadet of the year. I served on the debate team, the green team for recycling and saving the planet, the Student Gov’t, peer leadership. I also participated in several Sports during my high school years to include, Soccer, Baseball, Wrestling, Lacrosse, and Track. My list continues but I say this all to say that I will make sure that any scholarship funds you give will be well spent.

Please consider me for this scholarship opportunity because it would push me a little closer to reaching the goal of continuing my journey to do missions locally and globally.

By: Micah M. Johnson”