Keshawn Johnson knows a thing or two about perseverance.
As the student member of AACC's board of trustees, he balances late nights reading college documents with his homework. He’s walked into board meetings tired, burnt out or reeling after failing a big test. Despite that, he says, he puts on his game face and gets to work.
He doesn’t mind the hustle. A few years ago, he never would have predicted he’d be here.
After graduating from Glen Burnie High School in 2022, Johnson attended the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he failed all his first-semester classes. He returned home to work full time. After about a year, he decided to give college another try. He took an online course through AACC. He failed that, too.
“I felt like an imposter, almost,” he said. “I'm like, ‘is college really for me?’”
But Johnson didn’t give up. He took another break from school. For the first time, he started thinking about his long-term goals. He needed to find his “why” in life.
“And then I realized that what I wanted all this time was just to be a great father in the future to my future children. I just want to get out of my neighborhood. Not that my neighborhood isn't a great neighborhood, but I don't want to be in my neighborhood forever. … It gave me a fire.”
He returned to AACC in fall 2024. Fueled by his newfound drive, the computer science major earned 3 B's and an A that semester. Today, he has a 3.1 GPA and is dedicated to leaving a legacy on campus.
His success was supported by the Black Male Institute (BMI) and the Student Achievement and Success Program (SASP). Through BMI, he connected with Devin Keller, the then-student member of the board of trustees. Keller and staff mentored Johnson through the application process for the board position.
He found a passion for advocacy.
“One of the best parts of my experience is just the people and just being around so many positive-minded individuals. People were so dedicated and willing to do what's best for the college. And that motivated me even more to go harder for the students.”
Johnson plans to transfer to a four-year school to study information systems, aiming to leverage his skills in business or healthcare. No matter where he lands, he hopes his journey inspires others.
“Do not let your failures define you. ... life is about not whether you failed or succeeded, but if you did fail, how are you going to get back up and fight back? ... I want people to look on my story and be like, he did it, why can't I do it?”
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