Christian Lawrence, left, and Ahmad Kebe, right, the sponsors of the ‘Write Your Own Legacy’ scholarship. (Photo provided with permission from Ahmad Kebe) 

Two friends and alumni of Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communications are teaming up with their alma mater to provide a scholarship for its current students. 

Ahmad Kebe, 25, and Christian Lawrence, also 25, launched the ‘Write Your Own Legacy’ scholarship that will award $2,000 to a current FAMU SJGC student. Eligible students need to have at least a 2.5 GPA, an active enrollment, their resume and a personal statement detailing their needs and academic commitment. 

The scholarship will go directly to the winner, and they’ll receive a check at a ceremony during homecoming week. 

For Kebe, giving back is an obligation. For months he wrestled with the idea before bringing it to Lawrence this past summer.  

“You need to give back specifically to the school of journalism,” Lawrence said, recalling a conversation between Kebe and himself. “I’m down to give back.” 

That ended up being the push Kebe was looking for, which prompted him to ask Lawrence to co-sponsor the scholarship with him.  

The two have pushed each other since their arrival on campus in fall of 2019, and it continues to this day. They see themselves as a dynamic duo, having lived together multiple times and participated in various campus activities together over their nearly decade-long friendship. 

“We immediately clicked,” Kebe said. “He’s one of my best friends. He’s like a brother to me.” 

Writing Your Own Legacy isn’t just about students within SJGC, it’s also about leaving something behind for their families.  

Lawrence had his newborn son in mind. 

“Everything that I’m doing now is for the betterment of my family and my son,” he said. “I gotta make sure they’re straight.” 

He said the goal is to one day have his son, Kairo, be part of the board. He said the hope is that in 50 years Kairo will be able to say his father and uncle’s legacy was meaningful. 

Presently, it’s not common for an alum to give back as substantially as the founders of Write Your Own Legacy have. Edward Thomas, 64, has worked as FAMU TV-20’s station director since 2020 and says it’s a rare feat for young alumni to give back so soon. 

He hopes it sets a precedent that other recent alumni can look to and find ways to give back that make sense to them. 

“They put their $250 and somebody else puts their $150, you look around and before you know it you’ve got a pot,” Thomas said.  

He said it doesn’t matter how many people give back, but that coming together to do so is just as powerful as giving on their own. 

Thomas also shared that this scholarship fills a variety of needs that students in the college have and appreciated that the requirements were listed in a way that’s accessible for every student. 

Students in the program find scholarships like these extremely helpful. 

“I depend on stuff like that very much,” said Kaylee McClendon, 20, a journalism student who transferred to FAMU this August. “It’s very encouraging to someone like me.” 

Giving back is important to her, and she hopes that one day she’ll be able to support SJGC students too.