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Joshua Johnson tap dances to pay for college on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
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Up Beat
Being a student is hard. Being a student with limited funding is even harder.
Meet Joshua Johnson, a Harlem native and student from Pennsylvania State University who when he learned that he was accepted into the school, chased a taxi cab down two blocks just to tell the driver and passenger that he was going to college.
Refusing defeat after learning that a mixture of federal grants, student loans and a small scholarship of $200 a semester would not be enough to cover his tuition, housing and basic needs, Johnson turned to his talent and discovered a way to make it through.
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"I didn't have money, and I didn't have resources, but what I did have was talent," Johnson told Ellen DeGeneres when he appeared on her show this past Wednesday.
Every weekend, Johnson makes the journey from Pennsylvania to New York City to tap dance on the subways and collect money from generous riders. "I get joy from tap dancing on the train because it makes other people smile," Johnson told DeGeneres. "So, if I can just change the way they feel at that moment and if I'm in control, you know, it makes me feel good."
A big part of Johnson's excitement grew from his drive to become the first member of his family to go to college and he will stop at nothing to achieve his dreams. He also wants the opportunity to give his mother and younger brother, who are currently living in a shelter in Yonkers, a chance at a better life.
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"You have to figure out a way for the whole family to come up," Johnson told The New York Times. "That's what I'm working towards, to make things better for my younger brother and my mom."
According to the Times, Johnson calls his show on the No. 2 and No. 3 lines between 96th Street and Times Square "The Tap Express" and is able to come up with the funding necessary to put himself through school.
On "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Johnson received a little extra help from DeGeneres when he appeared to perform for her audience and tell his story. He didn't know what she had in store for him, but his life was about to get a little bit easier and his feet a little bit more comfortable.
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By presenting him with a cheque for $30,000 from the social education platform, Chegg, and a pair of top-of-the-line tap shoes, DeGeneres was able to help Johnson pay for school and continue to do what he loves in his spare time.
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