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The ReddLight Scholarship & Foundation awarded scholarships to 15 high school graduates from the LaGrange Housing Authority’s (LHA) Phoenix Crossing community during a reception on July 2.

De’Jaylen Campbell, Kayla Cotton, N’Darious Dukes, Jaylon Fryer, LaShun Gates, J’un Hall, DeBrandon Harris, Keoni Hollins II, Jayvyn Johnson, Shaquone Perkins, Jamarcus Pope, Torian Reeves, Jarquavious Scott, Kayla Strickland and Jasia Swanson each received $100 for their future endeavors.

Since 2020, ReddLight has awarded scholarships on July 2 to students in Phoenix Crossing’s Southern Empire Emperors community program in memory of the foundation’s namesake, Tachell Sa’me “ReddLight” Johnson-Harrison, who died of brain cancer on the same date in 2019.

Johnson-Harrison was passionate about serving the community and could be regularly seen teaching, coaching and mentoring local youth. She held several titles throughout her life, including elementary school teacher, LHA program manager, cheer-and-dance coach and hair-braider.

James Harrison Jr., LHA’s transformative director and Johnson-Harrison’s husband, said the foundation was created to give back to the children she loved so much.

“Her death was crushing for [my] family. We tried to figure life out and tried to figure out what we could do to take a negative and turn it into a positive, what she would have wanted to be a part of. To be able to create this scholarship in honor of her and all the people she impacted is an amazing feeling for us,” Harrison said.

ReddLight invited Troup County Commissioner Jimmy McCamey Jr. to speak to this year’s scholarship recipients. He grew up in the same neighborhood and spoke to the students about how he overcame obstacles to earn his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees and open his own business. 

“I don’t care what your circumstances are; I don’t care what background you come from. You can do and be whatever you want. I’m a living testimony,” McCamey said. “If you want to do it, it’s up to you. We have to take the responsibility to be successful; we have to take responsibility to overcome everything that’s put against us. You can still overcome; you can still achieve. You can still be an MD, you can still be a PhD, you can still be a teacher [and] you can still own your own business. Don’t let society define you as an individual. You have to make a choice. You have to say, ‘I want to succeed under any circumstance that I have.’”

McCamey encouraged students to practice gratitude, embrace change, cultivate wisdom and courage, stay connected to their community and recognize the value of good character.

“At this point of your journey, you stand at a threshold — the bridge between leaving high school and infinite possibilities and moving into your young adulthood. Remember that your journey did not begin once you finished high school, nor did it end when you walked across that stage. Your journey is a lifelong process. You’re going to have long days, long nights. You’re going to have some victories; you’re going to have some setbacks. Each lesson learned, you’ve got to learn from your parents, from your mentors, from teachers, from coaches and even from your own friends. Take those mental moments. Let them be mental notes,” McCamey said.