Kendall Rae Johnson was recently awarded a full-ride scholarship to South Carolina State University while touring the college’s research farms and program areas. Four years ago, the 10-year-old became Georgia’s youngest certified farmer, making her first impression in the agricultural world.
Now, her $83,500 scholarship covers the whole cost of tuition, fees, and room and board.
“Thank you,” Johnson said excitedly after hearing the news, according to Fox5 Atlanta. In addition to being thrilled about the scholarship announcement, Johnson was excited about the opportunity to ride a tractor at the university’s farm.
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“We were genuinely inspired by Kendall Rae’s focus and maturity,” South Carolina State President Alexander Conyers stated. “It’s not every day you meet a 10-year-old who talks about microorganisms, crop counts, and longhorn cattle. She’s remarkable.”
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Her father expressed his delight in supporting his daughter’s agricultural endeavors.
He said, “We just said we’d support any idea our child had when we saw real active focus. She zeroed in on plants and wanting to grow things, so we just stuck behind it, and when we realized she wasn’t veering off into any other thing, we just kept building it up.”
Johnson’s love of farming began when he was a young child. Her website states that she began cultivating fruits and vegetables in a little patio garden with her great-grandmother Laura “Kate” Williams, planting collard greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.
Johnson got fascinated with gardening after her parents built a bigger garden bed for her at the age of four. She now encourages friends to assist her in harvesting what she has planted.
She earned her farming tract ID at the age of six, making her the youngest certified farmer. Today, she works for her family’s urban farm, aGROWKulture. She lives in Southwest Atlanta and grows everything from tomatoes to honey while also leading educational programs for the youth. According to Black Enterprise, Johnson has also written a children’s book titled My Farm Biz.
Johnson is also the head of Kendall Rae’s Green Heart, a nonprofit organization that promotes education among youth on entrepreneurship, sustainability, and agricultural methods.
In 2023, the state of Georgia celebrated Johnson by designating March 23, 2023, as “Kendall Rae Johnson Day.”
Johnson and her family recently completed a nationwide college tour in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Virginia State University, which concluded at South Carolina State University.
Johnson, as a USDA National Urban Agriculture Youth Ambassador, toured 1890 land-grant institutions. She has traveled to Prairie View A&M, Tennessee State, and Virginia State to advocate for youth farming leadership, financial literacy, and sustainable agriculture.
Johnson plans to continue her education at home and work on her South Fulton farm, which grows a variety of fruits and vegetables, until she is old enough to benefit from her full-ride scholarship.
She is only 10 years old, but she has a clear vision for her future.
“I want at least 100 acres. And a longhorn, baby,” she declared.
