Jeff Johnson
BET
New York, NY USA
"So often, we confine ourselves to this little box of 'doctor,' 'lawyer,' 'engineer,' 'teacher,' 'businessperson'...free yourselves."
Career Roadmap
Jeff's work combines: Politics, Television, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
University of Toledo
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Says the people who become successful are the ones who "throw the manual away" rather than following it.
2.
For most of his life, all he wanted to do was run; was an All-American track star, got a full scholarship to run in college.
3.
While in college, the president of the Black Student Union (BSU) saw something in Jeff, invited him to join.
4.
His track coach discouraged him from spending so much time with the BSU, so Jeff quit the team.
5.
His father told him he was a "quitter," told him that he wouldn't be financially supporting him anymore.
6.
A year later, after Jeff became president of the BSU, he invited his father to see his work; his dad apologized for not supporting his decision.
7.
Says his father's apology was "validation" because he wasn't living his dad's life, he was living his own life.
8.
Thinks too many young people give up their calling to satisfy the obligations they feel they owe their parents or their peers.
