Jessica Johnson is a Howard University graduate and recipient of over $200,000 in scholarships. As the Founder and Executive Director of The Scholarship Academy, she has spent the last decade serving as a family scholarship consultant and travels throughout the country conducting scholarship workshops for organizations such as The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLS), The U.S Department of Labor, The New York Urban League and the National Center of Philanthropy.
Jessica is the author of The Scholarship Workbook, a 3-step guide to securing top scholarship awards. She has helped students claim more than $40 million in private scholarships, and her work has been honored through several national fellowships including Echoing Green, the Ashoka Changemaker Awards, and the Points of Light Foundation’s Civic Accelerator. She currently serves on the Georgia GEAR UP Leadership Team and the Atlanta Public School’s Equity Taskforce.
Chris Mance is the Chief Technology Officer with The Scholarship Academy where he leads the design, development, and product roadmap of the Virtual Scholarship Center application. In his role he also works with the leadership team to set clear priorities and goals for IT management and implements the overall technology strategy to support The Scholarship Academy’s mission.
With a background spanning from consulting for leading companies like Accenture, Amdocs, and Lockheed Martin to supporting Atlanta startups as a software engineering consultant and founding a technology startup of his own, Chris brings diverse expertise to his role.
He has an undergraduate degree in computer science and a master’s degree in software engineering from Florida A&M University. Beyond this technological prowess, Chris is passionate about nurturing mental skills and mindset development. Holding a certification as a sport psychology coach (CSPC), he guides young athletes, particularly high school wrestlers, toward success in both academics and sports. This deep commitment to fostering holistic growth stems from his foundation in systems engineering while a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was also a member of the Army West Point Football Team.
Chris’ journey, marked by academic excellence, technological innovation, and a genuine passion for supporting young minds, underscores his role as a driving force in The Scholarship Academy’s mission to empower students and create lasting educational equity.
Our 10-Month Program Fellows, Sponsored by AmeriCorps.
