Kyle-Pierre Johnson Scholarship Fund
Organized by Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation
In Memory of Kyle-Pierre Isaac Johnson
In 2021, a young, gifted Black man — Kyle-Pierre Johnson — unexpectedly passed away as a result of his struggles with Bipolar Disorder I. In the interest of supporting those with mental differences, grow a culturally competent pool of professionals, and help expand the education and skills of BIPOC students in the mental health profession, KP’s family and friends raised money to award scholarships to two students to assist with their graduate studies in mental health.
About KP
Kyle-Pierre (KP) Johnson was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He was an intelligent and multi-talented young man with interests in physics and the arts. KP’s professional career began in 2016, as a high-school senior, when he was signed with a top modeling agency in Chicago. He was cast in ads for Nike, East Bay, Meijer, Puma, and other national brands. KP had a creative spirit and a mind for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In addition to modeling, he created several oil and acrylic paintings, pen and ink drawings, as well as decorative textile and shoe designs. KP was musically talented; he played violin, clarinet, and sang. A keen interest in producing and recording music led him to enroll in Columbia College where he was studying Sound Engineering to hone his skills. He was gifted, loving, selfless, and an inspiration to all who knew him.
Activity
about 2 years ago
NaTasha Thompson was raised by her mother who suffered from mental illness, bouts with depression, and heavy drug abuse which eventually led to NaTasha and her siblings being sent to foster care. NaTasha was inspired to become a social worker as a result of her mother’s inability and lack of opportunity to have a culturally competent therapist that understood the historical trauma of African- Americans. NaTasha intends to collaborate and continue to build a community where Black people feel seen, know that they are heard, their historical trauma and current experiences are validated, and they feel safe. She wants to use her experiences and knowledge to help make Black families aware of their rights, especially since the system has failed so many. NaTasha is continuing her studies in the field of Social Work at Fayetteville University.
Sheree Harper is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of North Carolina Charlotte seeking her Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education. Sheree has worked in Title 1 Elementary schools where the population was predominately African American and as a professional school counselor, meeting the mental health and holistic needs of students and families. She has worked directly with African Americans and other diverse student populations and utilized her counseling and play therapy skills to assess and support academic, career, and social/emotional development. Sheree has also worked in emergency transitional youth shelters assisting a diverse group of adolescents/teens and served as an Outpatient Therapist counseling African American clients ranging from ages four to fifty-six years old, with various mental health needs including anxiety, depression, ODD, PTSD, adjustment disorder, ADHD, among others. As a doctoral student, she is researching Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s)/trauma and students of color, in urban elementary schools.
