Listen to Courtney share her story
Watch Courtney Johnson's Commencement Speech
Courtney Johnson, a Willoughby South High School graduate, has journeyed from high school to a successful career to start a family, all while moving across the Southern United States and back to Ashtabula, Ohio. After she received her undergraduate degree, she has one more stop, Columbia University.
Johnson, recently named one of Kent State Ashtabula's 2023 Spring Commencement speakers, will begin her Master's in Information & Knowledge Strategy (IKNS) at the prestigious university this fall.
She began her college journey in high school, completing her first two years in Ohio's original dual-enrollment program, Postsecondary Enrollment Options Program (PSEOP), now known as College Credit Plus (CCP). Personal health issues during her senior year convinced her to postpone college and enter the workforce.
Johnson decided to take a pause after graduation to find a job.
"It was the early 2000s, so like many kids my age, I was comfortable with computers and newer technology," Johnson said. "This gave me an advantage in the workforce, so I started working and decided to return to school at some point."
Working full-time, Johnson met her soon-to-be husband, John. They married and started a family with two sons, Ben (12) and Henry (10).
"After our sons were born, I continued working, but going back to school was almost completely out of the picture," she said. "I had a few stints taking classes here and there, but it wasn't the right time."
She and her husband moved around to stay competitive in the IT job market. They lived in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado before moving back to Ohio in 2012 to be closer to family.
Johnson found jobs working for local non-profits, leading to a role in political campaigning. After the 2018 election cycle, Johnson took a job at Ashtabula County Probate Court, serving three years as chief deputy clerk.
"I had a stable job with great hours, and my kids were a little older, so I began considering a return to school," Johnson said. "I was making plans to attend Kent, and then came COVID. Like everywhere, things at work were really tense, so I put off my return again.
Last year, she spoke to an advisor at Kent State Ashtabula about finishing her degree so that she could continue her studies in graduate or law school. They decided the Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies (BTAS) degree was a great fit because the program is designed for learners like her who have previous college credits and want to finish a bachelor's degree with a versatile schedule and course options.
"The BTAS would allow me to accomplish what I wanted in the timeline that I wanted," Johnson said. "I had business experience and skills to back it up."
Johnson left the court and enrolled full-time at Ashtabula Campus. Her coursework allowed her to take advantage of most of the Regional Campus System.
"I had classes through every campus except maybe Tuscarawas," she said. "I took some writing-intensive courses in the summer and became interested in different types of management. In my IT and consulting experiences, I practiced knowledge management without realizing it. It's one of the things I did at the court."
Johnson credits her BTAS degree for her success and for opening new career paths as she begins her hybrid study at Columbia.
“The BTAS program propelled me into my next phase of learning at Columbia. I'm so interested in learning more about knowledge management and how we transfer knowledge to one another," Johnson said.”
Johnson was named the student speaker at Kent State Ashtabula's Spring Commencement, held on campus Thursday, May 11. To see Johnson's speech, watch the commencement ceremony on the campus's YouTube channel by clicking here.
For more information about Kent State’s Bachelor of Technical & Applied Studies (BTAS), visit https://www.kent.edu/cats/btas.
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