Class act: College counselor Jeremy Johnson

College Counselor Jeremy Johnson may work in one of the most isolated spots on campus, but his location will not stop him from trying to form relationships with every student he can.

Johnson wants all of the students, including freshmen and sophomores, to know that he is available at any time if they have questions.

“Don’t be shy,” Johnson said, “Come over and say hi. There’s a nice jar of candy at the front desk. Come by and see us.”

Johnson has warmed up quickly to new environments since childhood. His family moved frequently to keep up with his father’s work at DuPont, a manufacturing company headquartered in Delaware. Johnson moved from Delaware and spent most of elementary school in Beaumont, Texas. His family then relocated to Buffalo, New York, when Johnson was entering fifth grade.

“Because of that time I spent in Buffalo, I’m a Bills fan. I’m a Sabres fan too, but down here in Texas, nobody really cares about hockey,” Johnson said.

By ninth grade, Johnson moved from Buffalo to Portland, Texas, in the Corpus Christi area. At Gregory-Portland High School, Johnson sang in choir and was a sweeper and central defender on the school soccer team.

After graduating from Gregory-Portland, he attended Trinity University, San Antonio, where he continued choir and intramural soccer. He earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering science and minored in mathematics.

The year after he graduated, Johnson began working as a counselor for the Trinity admissions office. He worked there for nine and a half years with increasing responsibility, becoming an assistant director and finishing as an associate director. He then worked as the director of college placement at Texas Military Institute before coming to St. John’s.

Wendy Chang, Director of College Counseling, recognizes his experience. “He has spent time on both sides of the desk,” she said, referring to his work in both college admissions and college counseling.

“His range of experience is always hugely valuable for a college counselor, and all of those years have allowed him to build a great professional network in our industry,” Chang said. “Everyone in the field knows Jeremy.”