Okay, I admit it, I watch Dancing With the Stars. That’s where I got the idea for this blog post.
They featured a young man named Joshua Johnson, a 20-year old from Harlem, New York who is financing his future by tap dancing on the subway. Joshua’s story is a real inspiration. This is a young man who had a dream to be the first in his family to attend college. He believed in his dream enough to put himself out there in the subways of New York using a skill he started to develop when he was 15 years old – tap dancing.
Joshua soon learned he could make money, enough money to pay his tuition. He was determined, persistent, tenacious and committed to making this work. He caught someone’s attention at the New York Times where he was featured in an article which caught the attention of someone at the Ellen Show who arranged for him to be a guest. This guest spot on Ellen drew the attention of Dancing With the Stars which garnered Joshua a real performance on the dancing show supported by professional dances.
The following is an excerpt from the Huffington Post which reports this about Joshua:
The New York City native has been tap dancing on the subway to pay for his education at Penn State. And his talent has helped him raise the $6,000 he needs to pay for school each year.
On weekends, Johnson makes the trek from Pennsylvania to New York to perform in subway stations, where he says he can make about $200, The New York Times reports.
But in high school, a university education wasn’t always on the agenda.
“I didn’t really think college was an option for me; I was never really an ‘A’ student. But at the same time, I didn’t want to look back on life and say to myself, ‘I didn’t go, because I didn’t apply,'” Johnson said on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
However, even with grants, loans and scholarships, Johnson still came up short on tuition, and he had to figure out a way to pay the difference.
“I didn’t have money, and I didn’t have resources, but what I did have was talent,”the student said on “Ellen.”
Although Johnson is determined to be the first college graduate in his family, he admits the journey hasn’t been easy.
“When I got [into Penn State], it was a challenge — and a challenge I took head on. I am still sticking to it until I graduate,” he told Campus Progress.
In addition to studying and subway dancing, Johnson also holds a part-time job at a clothing store. And although times are rough, he’s keeping his eyes on the future.
“I’m in this situation for now, just now, but I know I’m not going to be here for long,” Johnson told The New York Times.
Inspired by his story, Ellen DeGeneres aimed to fix the situation.
She invited Johnson to appear on her show and presented him with new tap shoes and a $35,000 check on behalf of Chegg, a student network.
You can see clips of Joshua’s appearance on the Ellen Show on YouTube.
The takeaway from Joshua’s story is that if your belief is stronger than your doubts, if your commitment to your dream is strong, you can accomplish anything your heart desires.
Are you committed to your dream that strongly? Do you believe with all your heart that you can accomplish your goals?
You’ll never know if you don’t go for it.
