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Meaghan Johnson

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

My life goals is to become a neurosurgeon. My hobbies are cleaning up around my neighborhood, painting, cooking, giving advice to friends and family members.

Education

Madison Senior High School

High School
2022 - 2026

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Technical bootcamp

  • Majors of interest:

    • Computer Science
    • Computer Engineering
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

    • Dream career goals:

      Therapist

      Arts

      • None

        Drawing
        2014 – 2026

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        Changing lives ministries — Handler
        2025 – 2026

      Future Interests

      Volunteering

      Entrepreneurship

      Charlene K. Howard Chogo Scholarship
      My effect on women's empowerment begins with my decision to use my rights and opportunities to pursue higher education at Millikin University, where I am currently studying psychology with the goal of becoming a therapist. As the first woman in my family to attend college, my journey represents more than a personal achievement. It represents a new path for the women who come after me. I am proving that the circumstances we are born into do not have to determine the lives we create for ourselves. When I was younger, I did not always believe that I would make something of myself. I believed that I was destined to struggle and that the circumstances around me would become my future. As I have grown, however, I have learned that empowerment begins with believing that you deserve the opportunity to build a different life. Every step I take toward my education is a step toward breaking generational cycles and creating a future based on my own choices.For me, women's empowerment also means being able to stand on my own financially and personally. I want to build a career that allows me to support myself, make my own decisions, and never feel that my future depends on a man. I want my education to give me the independence to determine the direction of my own life. More importantly, I want to use my future career in psychology to help other people understand their own worth, overcome difficult circumstances, and recognize that their beginnings do not have to define their endings I want to become an example of what is possible when a woman chooses to invest in herself. If I can change the direction of my own life, I can also help create opportunities for others to change theirs. My education is therefore both a personal accomplishment and a statement: I am capable of building a future for myself, and I intend to make that future meaningful. My effect on women's empowerment begins with my decision to use my rights and opportunities to pursue higher education at Millikin University, where I am currently studying psychology with the goal of becoming a therapist. As the first woman in my family to attend college, my journey represents more than a personal achievement. It represents a new path for the women who come after me. I am proving that the circumstances we are born into do not have to determine the lives we create for ourselves.When I was younger, I did not always believe that I would make something of myself. I believed that I was destined to struggle and that the circumstances around me would become my future. As I have grown, I have learned that empowerment begins with believing that you deserve the opportunity to build a different life. Every step I take toward my education is a step toward breaking generational cycles and creating a future based on my own choices.For me, women's empowerment also means being able to stand on my own financially and personally. I want to build a career that allows me to support myself, make my own decisions, and never feel that my future depends on a man. I want my education to give me the independence to determine the direction of my own life. More importantly, I want to use my future career in psychology to help other people understand their own worth, overcome difficult things and recognize that their beginnings do not have to define their endings. My goal is not simply to become the first woman in my family to graduate from college.
      Tammurra Hamilton Legacy Scholarship
      Winner
      Mental health and suicide prevention is so important topics today because, due to unrealistic beauty standards, and been exposed to negativity online pertaining to racial discrimination and gender. It influenced me by making me realize just how miserable people are, I mean.. Looksmaxxing? All of those terms... People are literally breaking bones in their face. So they can have more pronounced cheekbones. And when people see too much of that online all the time because our phones are always, always always in our hands, it will distort our reality, our lives to what is shown on tiktok. What is shown on Instagram. I mean it has gotten really bad. Like Me personally, I gotten into that looksmaxxing stuff, and then I had to stop myself and actually think. I am only 18. I have not grown into my features of my face yet. So there's time I would try to fix my for you page to my actual interests. Like funny Tv shows, like sitcom shows from the 90s and movies from the 70s-2000s and anime and other small communities on these platforms, like Instagram and TikTok and Twitter. Especially Twitter. I mean there is one main looksmaxxer, and his skin his face is literally rotting. Due to him being on meth and other drugs. And he's literally racist too. And mind you he also overdosed. Like.. Twice. And deep down it literally made me realize that all of this stuff is literally fake. Which I should've known that sooner. And I have to build up my friends confidence also for their looks because african features are stigmatized online. Like big noses and strong features. And help them look at their skin complexion like it's beautiful and which it is. So yes I build up my people. Their hair textures, their noses, their eyes, skin, everything. I help build them up. And how this inspired my career aspirations is, well, I want to be in a field that is full of people that look like me. And which since I am going to school to be a nurse. I will. And I'm happy for that. But even then, people are going to be people. And be ignorant even in those specific fields. And I have to mentally prepare myself for this world. And mentally prepare for people and know how to respond to ignorance, racism, and unfairness in this said career field. Which is nursing.