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Amanda Johnson

1x

Finalist

Bio

I live by the motto don't let the circumstances you're born into determine your outcome in life! I have an IEP and live in a low-income home. I didn't let that stop me. I have been active in my community, and I believe in doing good deeds. I love children, I am a hard worker, and after college I want to help families facing hardships by becoming a social worker.

Education

Ashbrook High

High School
2022 - 2026

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Bachelor's degree program

  • Majors of interest:

    • Social Work
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Civic & Social Organization

    • Dream career goals:

    • Child watch employee

      Warlick YMCA
      2024 – Present2 years
    • Police Cadet

      Gastonia Police Department
      2022 – Present4 years

    Sports

    Golf

    2025 – Present1 year

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Gastonia Police Department — Cadet
      2022 – Present
    Aserina Hill Memorial Scholarship
    I have had an IEP throughout all of high school. This was not just in the classroom but out in everyday life. Math I could do but when it came to math problems with reading, I struggled. I had severe ADHD as a younger child. My mother said I outgrew it around age nine. From the age of 12 I went through a three-year child custody battle between my parents. This affected my studies and caused me a lot of stress early on. When I was old enough to start volunteering, I wanted to do work with my local police station, so I joined the youth police cadets. I became a cadet sergeant last year. When I became old enough to work, I started working at the local YMCA in the child watch area. I love the kids. I see so many kids that don't get love or attention or are being treated poorly at home. I become their happy person who they can depend on to always give a smile, speak softly and say a kind work to make them feel better. I have kept my job for the past two years and because of my life background I decided to work with kids and families facing hardships and struggles like I had growing up. I want to major in social work and work with the families in rural North Carolina. I want to work to make life easier and assessable for them. I want to offer families facing challenges opportunities and hope. I live in a home that has three other siblings. It is a constant struggle for my mother to get us the things we need. My siblings are always asking for wants. We get section 8 housing, and my mother has to go to the local crisis assistance ministries to get help with food. I don't get paid much but I always send my mother 50 dollars from when I get paid. When I had to get an IEP at first, I was embarrassed. I didn't want anyone to know I was having problems. I just had to realize that God made everyone different. I realized that all people are given different abilities. What worked well for me is learning to make lots of notes and use my highlighters. I did a lot of research on colleges that have good support for students with academic disabilities and IEP's. I went to visit the college and even went to admitted students' day so that I would know for sure that I felt comfortable. The school I want to attend is called Lenior Rhyme University. It is 45 minutes from home. It is far enough away to grow and mature away from my family and close enough to come back for birthdays, church, and emergencies when I need too. I plan to use my life experiences with coming from a broken home and having a disability to work with families and kids experiencing the same things. I have worked with kids for two years straight and have learned from the police cadets what it means to protect and to serve. My impact will be felt at the family level. I may not become famous, but I will change people's lives. That is what is important to me.
    Gabriel Martin Memorial Annual Scholarship
    Due to my Asthma and type 2 diabetes, I was unable to play sports that required running. I have had an IEP throughout all of high school. My problem area was reading comprehension and math. I could read very well but did not understand what I was reading at all. This was not just in the classroom but out in everyday life. Math I could do but when it came to math problems with reading, I struggled. I had severe ADHD as a younger child. My mother said I outgrew it around age nine. From the age of 12 I went through a three-year child custody battle between my parents. This affected my studies and caused me a lot of stress early on. When I was old enough to start volunteering, I wanted to do work with my local police station, so I joined the youth police cadets. I became a cadet sergeant last year. When I became old enough to work, I started working at the local YMCA in the child watch area. I love the kids. I see so many kids that don't get love or attention or are being treated poorly at home. I become their happy person who they can depend on to always give a smile, speak softly and say a kind work to make them feel better. I have kept my job for the past two years and because of my life background I decided to work with kids and families facing hardships and struggles like I had growing up. I want to major in social work and work with the families in rural North Carolina. I want to work to make life easier and assessable for them. I want to offer families facing challenges opportunities and hope. I live in a home that has three other siblings. They are ages 8, 11, and 13. It is a constant struggle for my mother to get us the things we need. My siblings are always asking for wants. We get section 8 housing, and my mother has to go to the local crisis assistance ministries to get help with food. I don't get paid much but I always send my mother 50 dollars from when I get paid. When I had to get an IEP at first, I was embarrassed. I didn't want anyone to know I was having problems. I just had to realize that God made everyone different. I realized that all people are given different abilities. What worked well for me is learning to make lots of notes and use my highlighters. I did a lot of research on colleges that have good support for students with academic disabilities and IEP's. I went to visit the college and even went to admitted students' day so that I would know for sure that I felt comfortable. The school I want to attend is called Lenior Rhyme University. It is 45 minutes from home. It is far enough away to grow and mature away from my family and close enough to come back for birthdays, church, and emergencies when I need too. I plan to use my life experiences with coming from a broken home and having a disability to work with families and kids experiencing the same things. I have worked with kids for two years straight and have learned from the police cadets what it means to protect and to serve. My impact will be felt at the family level. I may not become famous, but I will change people's lives. That is what is important to me.
    Sunshine Legall Scholarship
    I have had an IEP throughout all of high school. My problem area was reading comprehension and math. I could read very well but did not understand what I was reading at all. This was not just in the classroom but out in everyday life. Math I could do but when it came to math problems with reading, I struggled. I had severe ADHD as a younger child. My mother said I outgrew it around age nine. From the age of 12 I went through a three-year child custody battle between my parents. This affected my studies and caused me a lot of stress early on. When I was old enough to start volunteering, I wanted to do work with my local police station, so I joined the youth police cadets. I became a cadet sergeant last year. When I became old enough to work, I started working at the local YMCA in the child watch area. I love the kids. I see so many kids that don't get love or attention or are being treated poorly at home. I become their happy person who they can depend on to always give a smile, speak softly and say a kind work to make them feel better. I have kept my job for the past two years and because of my life background I decided to work with kids and families facing hardships and struggles like I had growing up. I want to major in social work and work with the families in rural North Carolina. I want to work to make life easier and assessable for them. I want to offer families facing challenges opportunities and hope. I live in a home that has three other siblings. They are ages 8, 11, and 13. It is a constant struggle for my mother to get us the things we need. My siblings are always asking for wants. We get section 8 housing, and my mother has to go to the local crisis assistance ministries to get help with food. I don't get paid much but I always send my mother 50 dollars from when I get paid. When I had to get an IEP at first, I was embarrassed. I didn't want anyone to know I was having problems. I just had to realize that God made everyone different. I realized that all people are given different abilities. What worked well for me is learning to make lots of notes and use my highlighters. I did a lot of research on colleges that have good support for students with academic disabilities and IEP's. I went to visit the college and even went to admitted students' day so that I would know for sure that I felt comfortable. The school I want to attend is called Lenior Rhyme University. It is 45 minutes from home. It is far enough away to grow and mature away from my family and close enough to come back for birthdays, church, and emergencies when I need too. I plan to use my life experiences with coming from a broken home and having a disability to work with families and kids experiencing the same things. I have worked with kids for two years straight and have learned from the police cadets what it means to protect and to serve. My impact will be felt at the family level. I may not become famous, but I will change people's lives. That is what is important to me.
    Hester Richardson Powell Memorial Service Scholarship
    I have had an IEP throughout all of high school. My problem area was reading comprehension and math. I could read very well but did not understand what I was reading at all. This was not just in the classroom but out in everyday life. Math I could do but when it came to math problems with reading, I struggled. I had severe ADHD as a younger child. My mother said I outgrew it around age nine. From the age of 12 I went through a three-year child custody battle between my parents. This affected my studies and caused me a lot of stress early on. When I was old enough to start volunteering, I wanted to do work with my local police station, so I joined the youth police cadets. I became a cadet sergeant last year. When I became old enough to work, I started working at the local YMCA in the child watch area. I love the kids. I see so many kids that don't get love or attention or are being treated poorly at home. I become their happy person who they can depend on to always give a smile, speak softly and say a kind work to make them feel better. I have kept my job for the past two years and because of my life background I decided to work with kids and families facing hardships and struggles like I had growing up. I want to major in social work and work with the families in rural North Carolina. I want to work to make life easier and assessable for them. I want to offer families facing challenges opportunities and hope. I live in a home that has three other siblings. They are ages 8, 11, and 13. It is a constant struggle for my mother to get us the things we need. My siblings are always asking for wants. We get section 8 housing, and my mother has to go to the local crisis assistance ministries to get help with food. I don't get paid much but I always send my mother 50 dollars from when I get paid. When I had to get an IEP at first, I was embarrassed. I didn't want anyone to know I was having problems. I just had to realize that God made everyone different. I realized that all people are given different abilities. What worked well for me is learning to make lots of notes and use my highlighters. I did a lot of research on colleges that have good support for students with academic disabilities and IEP's. I went to visit the college and even went to admitted students' day so that I would know for sure that I felt comfortable. The school I want to attend is called Lenior Rhyme University. It is 45 minutes from home. It is far enough away to grow and mature away from my family and close enough to come back for birthdays, church, and emergencies when I need too. I plan to use my life experiences with coming from a broken home and having a disability to work with families and kids experiencing the same things. I have worked with kids for two years straight and have learned from the police cadets what it means to protect and to serve. My impact will be felt at the family level. I may not become famous, but I will change people's lives. That is what is important to me.
    Rick Levin Memorial Scholarship
    I have had an IEP throughout all of high school. My problem area was reading comprehension and math. I could read very well but did not understand what I was reading at all. This was not just in the classroom but out in everyday life. Math I could do but when it came to math problems with reading, I struggled. I had severe ADHD as a younger child. My mother said I outgrew it around age nine. From the age of 12 I went through a three-year child custody battle between my parents. This affected my studies and caused me a lot of stress early on. When I was old enough to start volunteering, I wanted to do work with my local police station, so I joined the youth police cadets. I became a cadet sergeant last year. When I became old enough to work, I started working at the local YMCA in the child watch area. I love the kids. I see so many kids that don't get love or attention or are being treated poorly at home. I become their happy person who they can depend on to always give a smile, speak softly and say a kind work to make them feel better. I have kept my job for the past two years and because of my life background I decided to work with kids and families facing hardships and struggles like I had growing up. I want to major in social work and work with the families in rural North Carolina. I want to work to make life easier and assessable for them. I want to offer families facing challenges opportunities and hope. I live in a home that has three other siblings. They are ages 8, 11, and 13. It is a constant struggle for my mother to get us the things we need. My siblings are always asking for wants. We get section 8 housing, and my mother has to go to the local crisis assistance ministries to get help with food. I don't get paid much but I always send my mother 50 dollars from when I get paid. When I had to get an IEP at first, I was embarrassed. I didn't want anyone to know I was having problems. I just had to realize that God made everyone different. I realized that all people are given different abilities. What worked well for me is learning to make lots of notes and use my highlighters. I did a lot of research on colleges that have good support for students with academic disabilities and IEP's. I went to visit the college and even went to admitted students' day so that I would know for sure that I felt comfortable. The school I want to attend is called Lenior Rhyme University. It is 45 minutes from home. It is far enough away to grow and mature away from my family and close enough to come back for birthdays, church, and emergencies when I need too. I plan to use my life experiences with coming from a broken home and having a disability to work with families and kids experiencing the same things. I have worked with kids for two years straight and have learned from the police cadets what it means to protect and to serve. My impact will be felt at the family level. I may not become famous, but I will change people's lives. That is what is important to me.
    Nabi Nicole Grant Memorial Scholarship
    I have had an IEP throughout all of high school. My problem area was reading comprehension and math. From the age of 12 I went through a three-year child custody battle between my parents. This affected my studies and caused me a lot of stress early on. When I was old enough to start volunteering, I wanted to do work with my local police station, so I joined the youth police cadets. I became a cadet sergeant last year. When I became old enough to work, I started working at the local YMCA in the child watch area. I have kept my job for the past two years and because of my life background I decided to work with kids and families facing hardships and struggles like I had growing up. I want to major in social work and work with the families where I grew up. I want to work to make life easier for them. I live in a home that has three other siblings. We get section 8 housing, and my mother has to go to the local crisis assistance ministries to get help with food. I don't get paid much but I always send my mother 50 dollars from when I get paid. When I had to get an IEP at first, I was embarrassed. I didn't want anyone to know I was having problems. I just had to realize that God made everyone different. What worked well for me is learning to make lots of notes and use my highlighters. I did a lot of research on schools that have good support for students with academic disabilities and IEP's. I went to visit the college and even went to admitted students' day so that I would know for sure that I felt comfortable. The school I want to attend is called Lenior Rhyme University. It is 45 minutes from home. It is far enough away to grow and mature away from my family and close enough to come back for birthdays, church, and emergencies when I need too. I plan to use my life experiences with coming from a broken home and having a disability to work with families and kids experiencing the same things. I have worked with kids for two years straight and have learned from the police cadets what it means to protect and to serve. My impact will be felt at the family level. I may not become famous, but I will change people's lives. That is what is important to me.
    Hulede Collegiate Golf Scholarship
    I have had an IEP throughout all of high school. My problem area was reading comprehension and math. From the age of 12 I went through a three-year child custody battle between my parents. This affected my studies and caused me a lot of stress early on. When I was old enough to start volunteering, I wanted to do work with my local police station, so I joined the youth police cadets. I became a cadet sergeant last year. When I became old enough to work, I started working at the local YMCA in the child watch area. I have kept my job for the past two years and because of my life background I decided to work with kids and families facing hardships and struggles like I had growing up. I want to major in social work and work with the families where I grew up. I want to work to make life easier for them. I live in a home that has three other siblings. We get section 8 housing, and my mother has to go to the local crisis assistance ministries to get help with food. I don't get paid much but I always send my mother 50 dollars from when I get paid. When I had to get an IEP at first, I was embarrassed. I didn't want anyone to know I was having problems. I just had to realize that God made everyone different. What worked well for me is learning to make lots of notes and use my highlighters. I did a lot of research on schools that have good support for students with academic disabilities and IEP's. I went to visit the college and even went to admitted students' day so that I would know for sure that I felt comfortable. I played girls' golf my Senior Year and am hopeful that I may get to play in college also. My disabled mother came to see me compete, but she was not able to walk out to get near me. It was too far for her. What mattered was that she came. she gave her best efforts and she was present. My mother's example taught me to try my best and to make the best memories possible with those we love. The school I want to attend is called Lenior Rhyme University. It is 45 minutes from home. It is far enough away to grow and mature away from my family and close enough to come back for birthdays, church, and emergencies when I need too. I plan to use my life experiences with coming from a broken home and having a disability to work with families and kids experiencing the same things. I have worked with kids for two years straight and have learned from the police cadets what it means to protect and to serve. My impact will be felt at the family level. I may not become famous, but I will change people's lives. That is what is important to me.
    Joieful Connections Scholarship
    I have had an IEP throughout all of high school. My problem area was reading comprehension and math. From the age of 12 I went through a three-year child custody battle between my parents. This affected my studies and caused me a lot of stress early on. When I was old enough to start volunteering, I wanted to do work with my local police station, so I joined the youth police cadets. I became a cadet sergeant last year. When I became old enough to work, I started working at the local YMCA in the child watch area. I have kept my job for the past two years and because of my life background I decided to work with kids and families facing hardships and struggles like I had growing up. I want to major in social work and work with the families where I grew up. I want to work to make life easier for them. I live in a home that has three other siblings. We get section 8 housing, and my mother has to go to the local crisis assistance ministries to get help with food. I don't get paid much but I always send my mother 50 dollars from when I get paid. When I had to get an IEP at first, I was embarrassed. I didn't want anyone to know I was having problems. I just had to realize that God made everyone different. What worked well for me is learning to make lots of notes and use my highlighters. I did a lot of research on schools that have good support for students with academic disabilities and IEP's. I went to visit the college and even went to admitted students' day so that I would know for sure that I felt comfortable. The school I want to attend is called Lenior Rhyme University. It is 45 minutes from home. It is far enough away to grow and mature away from my family and close enough to come back for birthdays, church, and emergencies when I need too. I plan to use my life experiences with coming from a broken home and having a disability to work with families and kids experiencing the same things. I have worked with kids for two years straight and have learned from the police cadets what it means to protect and to serve. My impact will be felt at the family level. I may not become famous, but I will change people's lives. That is what is important to me.