North Texas 9-Year-Old to be honored at Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
NORTH TEXAS – Saturday night, a North Texas 9-year-old will be honored in a ceremony every kid dreams of – the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
But the recognition didn't come without some hard work. Michael Thompson is a Cedar Hill 4th grader who has spent the past few years advocating for mental health awareness.
"If you don't know how to manage your emotions, you can get really angry," he said.
Michael's mom, Helsa, owns "The Aura House," a meditation and yoga studio in Cedar Hill. She has always tried to teach her kids the power of mindfulness.
"Our kids are growing up in a tough time, so there's a lot of things in the world creating tough emotions for our kids," Helsa said.
Joining in on classes was a way for Michael and his two brothers to regulate their emotions, which then led to their own business: Black Boys Meditate.
"During the pandemic, we had the idea of making a coloring book for kids," Michael said.
The idea expanded into other mindful kid products, like the Affirmation Alphabet Deck, as part of a larger project to uplift underserved communities through mindfulness—spreading peace, one product at a time.
"We make kids feel strong and happy through yoga, meditation, mending our emotions, and using positive affirmations," Michael explains.
Michael's efforts caught the attention of Nickelodeon, which will honor him on Saturday night at the Kids' Choice Awards with a Bronze Jefferson Award for Public Service.
"I was excited, really excited because now I have an award," Michael said.
"We couldn't believe it! That he was going to be on Nickelodeon, oh my gosh," Helsa said.
The Nickelodeon Jefferson Awards are given to the nation's top kid changemakers dedicated to impacting their communities. Helsa says that, at just 9 years old, Michael is doing just that.
"I see him teaching kids, saying affirmations. I think that's the most beautiful part. Not only the business part, but that he has internalized these techniques that make him a better person," she said.
You can see Michael be honored on Nickelodeon tomorrow at 7 p.m. CST.