New Life Christian Academy celebrated African American History Month with the belief that “Dreams begin with dreamers.” In keeping with that belief, the students presented a program Friday titled “Once a Dream …Now a Reality” for their parents, family members and guests.

Through songs, dance, videos and monologues, the students told the stories of African Americans who dared to “dream high” and how their dreams became reality.

Among the African Americans who reached lofty heights were Madam CJ Walker, Muhammad Ali, George Washington Carver, Mae Jemison, Marian Anderson, Dr. Ben Carson and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The students were inspired by those including Sidney Poitier who said his mission in life is to “simply wake up every day a better person than when I went to bed.” The students were challenged by the idea that those who say they can’t win, actually mean “they won’t let us win.”

The students were motivated, inspired and challenged by feature speaker Dr. Jawaunna T. Blackmon, a 1997 graduate of New Life Christian. She recently joined the Southeast Alabama Medical Center staff and is a physician at Dothan Hematology/Oncology.

Blackmon is the daughter of pastors Willie and Annie Blackmon of Troy. She received her Doctorate of Medicine in 2008 from the University of Alabama School of Medicine.

“My dream started in the home of my parents,” Blackmon told the students. “I was a sick as a child. I had epilepsy and I had to go the doctor often. The doctor was my hero like Iron Man and Superman because he could make me feel better.”

As a young person, Blackmon decided she wanted to be a doctor.

“But the doctors I saw didn’t look like me,” she said. “They were white. I was brown. But my mother told me that I could do it. I could be a doctor.”

When Blackmon earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Troy University, she applied for medical school but was not accepted.

“I faced adversity but I did not quit,” she said. “The Bible tells us we can do all things through God who strengthens us. The second time I applied for medical school I was accepted.”

Blackmon is now living her dream of helping people who are sick.

“I am a cancer doctor and my patients are very sick,” Blackmon said. “I work to help make them better but not all of them get better. But I get to talk to them about God every day and that’s a wonderful thing to be able to do.”

Blackmon challenged the students to live their dreams but to be prepared to work hard and accept any adversity that comes their way with the knowledge that God is on their side.