MICAH NIX: EMBRACING EXCELLENCE, HONOR & JUSTICE

There’s still work that can be done to improve our justice system by people with the right intentions who are passionate about what they’re doing,” Micah Nix says. The 2019 Effingham County High School honor graduate was a member of Effingham College & Career Academy’s STEM program. In December, Micah earned two degrees from the University of Georgia: a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs.

She also obtained two distinctions: the Public Affairs Professional Certificate in Applied Politics and the Legal Disparities and Equity Certificate. Moreover, she completed her degrees in 3 ½ years.

The 21-year-old is pursuing her Juris Doctor in order to meet her overall career goal of judgeship.

“My passion is advocacy and doing what I can to help others in a meaningful way,” she says.

Passion for Government & Politics

Earlier this year, Micah gained experience as a legislative aide to a government consulting lobbying firm at the Georgia State Capitol. Her primary responsibility was to track bills and their outcome. Micah was in the thick of it all, occasionally being in the company of Governor Brian Kemp himself along with government representatives and court justices. She was also in the midst of various lobbying efforts. of Representatives who happens to be her state representative.

“I experienced lobbying at the Capitol; lobbying is very intense. I have seen how bills can affect people. I have seen— behind-the-scenes—what makes our government run and the people invested in different matters,” she says.

Micah met Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Boggs, who was at the Capitol for the State of the Judiciary Address. She also felt privileged to meet Jon Burns, Speaker of the Georgia House

Micah has been interested in government and politics for a long time. She remembers what initially piqued her interest in the law side of it all. It goes back to a 2018 documentary called Time, which tells the story of a young man who was falsely arrested and placed in Rikers Island Jail. Three years passed before he received a trial. He also spent the majority of his incarceration in solitary confinement. The mental, psychological and emotional effects of his confinement were devastating; upon vindication and release, he committed suicide. Micah was immensely moved by his story along with learning about so many similar injustices throughout the land.

“His story is one of thousands across the country. Our criminal justice system could use a lot of work; there are many layers to improve. It’s an underfunded and overworked system where people can fall through the cracks—underrepresented or not represented at all,” she says.

Micah also remembers completing a high school social science project: “The Effects of Solitary Confinement on One’s Mental State & Stability.” The project was instrumental in transforming her perspective on issues present at the crossroads of justice and humanity.

“I wanted to know how I could make the most impact,” she adds.

Meaningful Mentorship

Over the past several years, Micah had the privilege of shadowing multiple judges who became professional mentors; she gained invaluable knowledge from each experience.

In Spring 2019, she shadowed Judge Rizza O’Connor who—at the time—served as a magistrate judge in Vidalia, Georgia.

“She really inspired me. When I shadowed her, she was only in her 20s—a woman of color with a husband and two children. To see her with a family and very content with her success showed me a different perspective,” Micah says.

Around that time, Micah also shadowed State Judge Derek White, who was a municipal judge at the time. “I appreciated that Judge White offered appropriate consequences for the actions of offenders,” she says.

In addition, she was grateful to shadow Judge Ronald Thompson, who was an Effingham County State Judge and is now a Superior Court Judge. “He saw each situation holistically. He didn’t see each person as inherently bad; he was very fair,” Micah says.

Each opportunity afforded her a priceless amount of insight and gave her the chance to be present in the courtroom during cases; she even received copies of proceedings to review.

“I was able to see how fair they all were as judges. The shadowing experiences humanized them for me. I think an element of the criminal justice system that can get overlooked is how much of an impact judges can have,” she says.

Everyone Has a Role

Micah understands that everyone has a role to play to ensure that the justice system functions as effectively as possible.

“Of course, electing good, wellintentioned, driven politicians as representatives is important, but it’s people that are on the ground that are working day-to-day to make sure individuals are treated fairly in our criminal justice system. Every person is part of a bigger system to push things forward. Understand the effects of what you’re doing, especially when you have the honor to be in a position to make decisions that affect a lot of people,” she says.

Georgians has been really meaningful to me,” she says.

While attending the University of Georgia, Micah served as a justice for the University Judiciary. The organization’s responsibility is to oversee university cases involving students charged with violating the student code of conduct. An all-student panel of justices is responsible for hearing arguments, reviewing evidence and making sound, impartial judgments. Micah has also served as a Legislative Fellow for Representative Spencer Frye of Athens.

Role Models and Inspirations

One of Micah’s biggest inspirations has been her Grandma—Sonja “Shug” Harris. “She is a person that I can always go to for wisdom; her advice about life and her many prayers have always kept me grounded,” Micah says.

She is especially grateful to her mom Cilvetta Youmans, an incredible role model in her life.

“My mom has always been uplifting and supportive. She is a go-getter; she has always made things happen for us. She has always made sure that we believe in ourselves,” Micah says. “My mom raised my sisters and me to be strong, independent young ladies.”

Micah has three sisters: Cianna, a recent Albany State University graduate, along with Lexsea, a freshman at Mercer University and Malaya, who is in middle school. She has one brother: ten-year-old Michael, Jr.

Beyond the Call Micah has enjoyed partnering with various outreach organizations, particularly those which share missions similar to her own. She has served as an intern for the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government Inclusion Office for two years. She has also volunteered with Family Promise of Athens to help combat homelessness in the local area.

“It’s not always about profit or big business; helping to improve the everyday lives of others and working for

Micah also gives credit to someone who has always been very important to her: her dad Michael Nix. She is proud to have the strong, military veteran in her life. “He taught me a nice, firm handshake that I received compliments on all the time at the Capitol. He always referred to my sisters and me as his strong, intelligent, beautiful princesses who should always be treated as such,” she says.

Micah has tremendous regard for her teachers who were part of the Effingham College & Career Academy’s STEM program; they have been great sources of motivation for her. “Despite being part of a STEM program, my teachers championed my personal career aspirations, and they continue to do so to this day,” she says. ■

By Kerri Dodson, MNT, MCHWC, Master Nutrition Therapist

Digestion is the gateway when dealing with all aspects of health. The gastrointestinal tract is connected to every system in the body. Without proper digestion, health cannot be optimized and thus, digestion is the most important healing priority for overall optimal health.

Why do so many of us have stomach/gastrointestinal issues?

Unfortunately, the majority of people are fueling themselves with processed food (this includes restaurant dining) and fast food. Eating this way exposes us to chemicals and pesticides.

Also, our soil is depleted of minerals and we are now eating GMO foods, which damage the gastrointestinal lining.

Without the integrity of the digestive system, the body cannot support other foundations of health. It is important to remember that every aspect of what we eat literally becomes part of us in our cells. So proper nutrition AND proper digestion and absorption are vital.

Proper digestion begins in the mouth and then to the stomach. Most people think heartburn is a sign of too much hydrochloric acid (HCl) when in reality, most of the time it is because of too little HCl. HCl is vital to the proper break down of proteins in the stomach.

Next, food is passed to the intestines. Here, there are different types of bacteria (pathogens, normal bacterial flora, phyla microbiota, opportunistic bacteria, H. pylori, fungi/ yeast, parasites and worms). Your bacteria need to be in the appropriate ratios and there should not be the presence of fungi/yeast, parasites or worms. We coexist with our bacteria. They play a role in the extraction of nutrients and energy from the food we eat, help maintain gut barrier function, produce vitamins like biotin and Vitamin K, and protect against the colonization of potential pathogens. Our microbiota interacts with our immune system and it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Also, digestive markers should be in the appropriate range.

What can we do?

As a Nutrition Therapist, I can help you test and not guess. Testing is the only true way to know if there is an imbalance or infection—be it parasitic, fungal or bacterial. It is also the best way to determine if there is a functional issue, meaning digestive capacity and ability to repair itself is impaired. Testing can also provide insight on inflammation and immune responses.

As a Nutrition Therapist, I can analyze this comprehensive panel and assist you in a proper protocol to balance/repair and alleviate any issues you may be having. We couple this with food sensitivity testing to ensure that while we are healing the gut, foods aren’t still doing damage. This one two punch is the best way to deal with issues such as IBS, autoimmune disease, heartburn, constipation, gallbladder issues and inflammatory issues. www.nutritioncoachkerri.com