MILWAUKEE — Even before he graduated high school, Jonah Dixon had already made some impressive accomplishments.
“I was a three-sport athlete, but I also have a very large strength in public speaking, where I could learn how to express myself in different areas of life,” he says.
Last year, Jonah topped his high school career off with another accomplishment – being crowned Mr. Juneteenth.
“This pageant is about expressing yourself and your talents,” Jonah says.
Part of his winnings included a college scholarship.
“College is rough when it comes to spending,” Jonah says. “The food, books, things of that nature, it was necessary, definitely helped.”
Finances aside, Jonah’s mom, Regina Boston-Dixon, says he learned a lot of life lessons that were just as important.
“He has the opportunity to be heard, he has the opportunity to show Milwaukee that all of our Black men are not the stereotype that the news is always portraying,” she says. “We have some positive young men who like to have a positive impact.”
“When it comes to my life, I have to put my studies first, put the things that I value first, where other people may not see the same value or may not have that same goal in mind,” Jonah adds.
Jonah has some big goals – to give back to his community. He’s studying kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“I’m actually going into the field of physical therapy where I can give back to the youth,” he says. “I’m planning on becoming a physical therapist and coming back to Milwaukee to work at a children’s hospital, that’s my goal.”
Jonah has a bright future ahead of him – one that his mom can see so clearly.
“I think that’s very important, to see their own self worth and not just me saying who they are but them believing who they are,” Regina says.
If you’d like to support scholarships like the one Jonah won, bid on great auction items during the Freedom Ball Auction, going on right now. Items up for grabs include Brewers suite packages or Summerfest ticket bundles.
The proceeds from the auction support scholarships for young people all over Milwaukee. Just follow this link.
Correction: TMJ4 News previously reported that Dixon was the first-ever Mr. Juneteenth. That was incorrect and has been changed in the story above.
