Monique Johnson has huge plans: The 21-year-old marketing major wants to graduate from college, enroll in law school, and one day become a judge.

Lofty goals, yes — but Johnson has made it her mission to achieve what others deem impossible. And she’s getting quite good at it.

Johnson was born with scoliosis and diastrophic dysplasia dwarfism — one of the rarest forms of dwarfism. With a height of only a little more than two feet, Johnson could easily hide on the campus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Instead, she has become somewhat of a celebrity, inspiring fellow students, professors, and community members with her incredible tale of courage and perseverance.

“As a child, I didn’t realize I had a disability. I know that seems strange to say, but my family really raised me like a regular kid,” explains Johnson, whom doctors didn’t expect to live past age 6. Thanks to a mother and grandmother who were determined to see her succeed, Johnson — one of five girls — learned vocabulary and reading skills at an early age. Soon, she was able to attend “normal” public school, and successfully graduated from high school with a 4.0 grade-point average.

In order to go to college, Johnson knew she’d need the help of a full-time aide who could assist with her day-to-day challenges. What she didn’t realize was the financial burden of having that assistance.

Johnson had taken art classes her junior and senior years of high school. “I’d never really had an interest in painting;

I just thought it would be an easy course,” she admits. But after receiving praise for her first few pieces, Johnson realized that she was on to something bigger.

She completed — and sold — nearly 40 paintings the summer after high school, and those funds, along with support from her church and aunt, were enough to cover the initial costs of an aide.

Years later, Johnson is still juggling her art and fundraising with school courses and public-speaking engagements, and last August her story was featured on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric’s “Assignment America.” But fame hasn’t changed Johnson’s sense of duty and her desire to be a voice for others with disabilities.

“When people see something different, they stare, ask questions, and have preconceived notions,” Johnson says. “But I’m not bogged down by my disability, and other people shouldn’t be either. If you see me, say hello.

“How many people with disabilities like mine get to go to college and live their dreams?” she continues. “I’m just getting started.”

• For more information about Monique Johnson and her art, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Donations may be made to the Monique Johnson Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 20326, Greensboro, NC 27420.