10-Year-Old Black Farming Prodigy Kendall Rae Johnson Lands Prestigious Full-Ride HBCU Scholarship

A remarkable achievement has been reached by a 10-year-old Black girl, who has secured a full-ride scholarship to South Carolina State University (SCSU). Kendall Rae Johnson, recognized as the youngest certified farmer in the United States, expressed her excitement, stating, “I’m the first 10-year-old to receive a full-ride scholarship!” The scholarship, personally awarded by SCSU President Alexander Conyers, will finance her tuition, fees, room, and board. Conyers articulated, “If I can provide scholarships to athletes, then I can extend the same to an agricultural scholar.”Johnson obtained her farmer’s certification at the tender age of six and has since managed her family’s backyard farm, cultivating vegetables, caring for livestock, and aiding her parents in farm operations. Aspiring to expand her farm to 100 acres, she envisions breeding longhorn cattle and poultry. Additionally, Johnson serves as a USDA National Urban Agriculture Youth Ambassador, encouraging peers nationwide to actively engage in agriculture and pursue related scholarships.