Florida A&M University student Jacoshiya Johnson says she asked her mom for a new car as her spring graduation gift: specifically, a white Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 53 with a red interior and black rims.
“You do your part, and I’ll do my part,” her mother, Tica Nanton, recalls in her response to that request a few years ago.
In her mother’s eyes, Johnson, 23, held up her end on Saturday, graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology pre-medicine, while being an active member of several campus organizations.
After her daughter walked across the Lawson Center stage, Nanton held up her end of the deal.
In a video posted on FAMU’s Instagram account, Johnson is surrounded by family while crying in shock with her diploma in one hand, and her new car keys in the other. Her mother is seen flashing the title for the luxury vehicle while Johnson climbs into the driver’s seat.
“I always told my mom I wanted a Mercedes (Benz) when I graduate,” Johnson told the Tallahassee Democrat. “It was really exciting.”
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Johnson, who currently drives a Nissan Altima, was not expecting the car, saying her mother made sure to keep the gift a surprise.
“I honestly wasn’t expecting the car and I was OK with not getting it,” she said. “I was already blessed to just be graduating.”
Nanton, who owns a pre-school in Winter Haven, Florida, says she was so proud of her daughter’s achievement that it was no doubt she would buy her the luxury 2023 SUV with a sticker price starting at $75,000.
“As soon as I found it, I purchased it,” Nanton said of the December discovery. She told Johnson she was unable to find the model as a way of keeping the purchase a secret.
Knowing her daughter visits home frequently, Nanton placed the SUV in storage until last Friday, when a friend drove it from Winter Haven to Tallahassee.
“My mom always goes above and beyond for me,” Johnson said. “It’s not even about the material item, but the constant love, support and motivation.:”
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Johnson, 23, is the first in her family to graduate from college, an accomplishment she and her family fully embrace.
“Oftentimes, I felt like I wanted to give up,” said Johnson who earned her AA degree from Tallahassee Community College in 2020 and then enrolled at FAMU. “Now, I get to establish a legacy for my future.”
Nanton says Johnson’s academic achievement is already rubbing off on Johnson’s 16-year-old sister.
“This sets a path for my younger daughter because now she wants to graduate college with high honors, too,” Nanton said.
Johnson says she is preparing to take the MCAT this summer and plans to pursue a Master of Medical Science degree at Barry University in Miami, Florida.
Her goal is to become a pediatric oncologist.
“I’ve always believed in her,” her mother said. “Ever since she was a little girl, she said she wanted to be a children’s doctor.”
Fran Scott, director of the FAMU Pre-med Program, has worked closely with Johnson and says she’s ready for medical school.
“She’s grown tremendously as a student and as a person,” Scott said, “She is competitive and ready for a successful transition to medical school.”
Contact Democrat writer Alaijah Brown at ABrown1@gannett.com and on Twitter at @BrownAlaijah.