Rukiya Curvey Johnson

About Rukiya

• My goal was to work in sports and entertainment marketing, so I took on internships at music agencies and helped plan concerts during college.
• After graduating, I worked at BET (Black Entertainment Television) in their public relations department—I planned events, opened restaurants, and worked on magazines and TV shows.
• I moved to New York to work at a boutique marketing agency, where I primarily worked in sports marketing.
• I eventually decided that I wanted to help clients make big decisions rather than just taking on their requests, so I went back to school for my MBA with a focus in brand marketing.
• While in graduate school, I volunteered at a halfway house for mothers recovering from drug addiction—the experience shifted my interests and I changed my major to nonprofit management.
• I was running a Black-owned cultural center and bookstore when my younger brother was murdered—the loss propelled me into K-12 education in order to help make a difference in young people’s lives.
• I got a job with Chicago Public Schools, working my way up from director of teaching and learning, to director of school improvement, to executive director of STEM and strategic initiatives.
• After nine years at Chicago Public Schools, I joined Rush University Medical Center as the executive director of the Rush Education and Career Hub, creating opportunities in STEM and healthcare.