At two feet tall, Monique Johnson may be less than half the height of most, but she has never let her small stature discourage her from chasing her goals.
In May, Johnson will graduate from the Elon University School of Law. She wants to advocate for people with disabilities, but also has an interest in criminal law.
“I want to somehow marry the two,” Johnson said.
Early on, Johnson recognized that a career in law would fit her extroverted personality.
“I knew I wanted to do something big,” said Johnson. “I’m feisty and I’m good with arguments so I thought this would be a good opportunity to maximize my skills and advocate for people who may not have a voice.”
Born with a severe form of scoliosis and dwarfism, she has had to overcome obstacles. According to Johnson, the most difficult part about living with her disability is having to rely on others.
“It’s the flip side of being ambitious,” said Johnson. “I want to get up and go to a party, get involved with a club or apply for an internship, but because my situation is a lot different than most people’s, I need someone there. My involvement is hindered and doesn’t accurately reflect what I want to do.”
While Johnson admits that this can be frustrating, she refuses to become discouraged. She attributes her optimism to her upbringing.
“When I was younger, I didn’t know I had a disability,” Johnson said. “When you’re in elementary school, everyone’s the same height. I was raised like any other kid and I think being raised like that has had an impact on my personality.”
Instead of feeling sorry for herself, Johnson is grateful for what she does have.
“I’ve been blessed to have many opportunities that a lot of people who are disabled don’t have,” said Johnson. “My family is there to help me push on.”
Johnson’s younger sister Melissa lives with her and helps out with transportation and anything else Monique can’t do herself.
“A lot of people go, ‘Oh, there go those sisters,’” Melissa said. “Wherever we go, we’re going to have a good time.”
When Johnson isn’t writing a paper for school or joking around with her sister, she can be found capitalizing on her artistic talents. From a young age, she knew she was interested in drawing, but did not realize just how useful her talent could be.
Johnson found yet another way to make the best of a situation: by selling her art to help pay for school. She got a scholarship to come to Elon, but uses the money she makes from selling artwork to pay for aditional aid.
Upon graduation in May, Johnson plans to take the Bar Exam and find a job either in the Triad area or in Washington DC.
“I hope to find a balance between practicing law, doing art work and public speaking,” said Johnson. “I don’t want to abandon the fact that I have a story to tell.”
Despite Johnson’s physical limitations, she has accomplished professional success. She has plenty of personal ambition, but she also believes that her purpose involves helping others.
“Quite honestly, people look at me and wonder how I could be happy,” Johnson said. “But I’m loving life and I hope I can help others do the same.”