Detroit dancer raising money to attend his dream college
(CBS DETROIT) — An 18-year-old dancer from Detroit is on the verge of attending a historically Black college this fall; however, he needs more cash to finance his college dream.
He started fundraising and picked up a few extra jobs to help raise the money to attend Morehouse College.
"I've been growing my love of dance since I was 6 years old," said Michael Wilbert, who is known as "The Dancer."
The road to becoming a rising star in dance hasn't been easy. Despite facing bullying, depression, and anxiety for choosing dance, Wilbert's passion never wavered, earning him a chance to perform on "America's Got Talent" and "World of Dance" and at Little Ceasars Arena during halftime at a Detroit Pistons game.
"[Overcoming opposition] gets easier knowing that my dance is an outlet for me, [and] for my mental health," he said. "So, I use it to express myself."
And that expression of self is why Wilbert's now pursuing another dream, becoming a Morehouse man.
"Morehouse definitely stands on building Black men," he said. "Coming from a fatherless household with no brothers, I feel I would want that brotherhood and fatherhood."
But financial hardship is standing in Wilbert's way. After applying for federal aid, his mother, Janelle, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her surgeries and treatments took a toll on the family's finances, and despite scholarships and loans, Wilbert is still thousands of dollars short of the required 60% tuition payment to secure enrollment.
"I've been working jobs to afford it," he said. "But I feel like once I get there and do what I gotta do, I feel like it'll be easier in the long run."
Wilbert says he's a fighter and comes from a family of fighters. He's determined to achieve his collegiate ambitions.
