Hi, my name is Denise Johnson. I was born and raised in hot and sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The youngest of three daughters, I pretty much had a childhood that involved going to school, taking dance classes, playing lots of soccer, and tagging along with my sisters. When I was 15, I began working as a professional dancer, and through these experiences, my eyes were opened to a broader world. I met people and perspectives that were very different from my hometown, and I traveled to exciting places. I made friends who lived thrilling, unconventional lives. I absolutely loved these people and experiences, and as a result, I became a bit discontent living in the suburbs. I felt a bit bored there, and I began to dream of living a different kind of life – the life of a professional dancer. However, I felt pressure to continue following the social norms of my hometown – to go to college, get a “real” job (dancing doesn’t count, don’t you know?!), and live in the ‘burbs like everyone else I knew. So, straight out of high school, I gave up on my dream of dancing and instead packed my bags and went to the University of Florida. I wasn’t miserable about the idea of going to college, as it was a fine plan, but my heart was elsewhere.
During my first semester at college, it just didn’t feel entirely right. The size of the college (over 40,000 students at the time) was exciting to me, but the classes were dull – they just didn’t stir my passions like dance did. After a short while, I began to realize that maybe college wasn’t for me. Unmotivated and a bit depressed, I began to do other things that seemed more interesting. I skipped classes a lot. I became a “Little Sister” at a fraternity. I went to football games, basketball games, parties, and pretty much did everything except study. I was looking for a thrill. After just one year at UF, I left and returned to South Florida to pursue other things, but I was full of doubt about what I would do with my life. My dancer friends were working in Vegas, at Disney, on cruise ships, and elsewhere, and I was both envious of them and afraid to pursue the lives that they had. I was lost.
So I kind of hung around in limbo for a few years, playing volleyball on the beach and working off and on as a dancer. I tried “temping” for a while, and I worked various office jobs, from file clerk to receptionist. I went to night school and got a technical degree to be a paralegal. After a short while, I quickly discovered how poorly office workers (mostly women) are treated in these fields, and I had distressing experiences. I realized that I needed a college degree to get better pay, more independence, and more control over my own life. A college degree would give me options that I didn’t have with only a high school degree. So I returned to college, but this time I did it because it was what I wanted. I was motivated, responsible, and determined this time. I was obviously older now. Nothing would stop me. Absolutely nothing.
I enrolled in a nearby a community college. What a difference this choice made! My professors at Broward Community College were thoughtful and energetic, and they deeply cared about students. I took my first Sociology class, and I was pretty much hooked. So I took another Sociology course, and another one, and another one. For the first time in my life, I actually wanted to go to class. And within a year or two, I knew that I wanted to be a sociologist. It felt great to finally figure out what I wanted to do with my life beyond dancing. I found my calling.
After finishing my A.A. degree, I transferred back to the University of Florida, the same college I had left, uninspired, once before. But with more maturity and determination under my belt, my experiences there were amazing this time around. At Broward Community College, I had figured out how to be a student and a learner. And at the University of Florida, I figured out how to be a scholar. I made a point to get to know my professors, I studied very hard, and I was incredibly invested in what I learned. A couple of professors took me under their wings, mentoring me and training me to be a sociologist. They suggested that I go to graduate school, and I did. I moved to the Pacific Northwest to attend the University of Washington, and the rest is history. Like tons of other people, I fell in love with Seattle and decided to set my roots here. I also fell in love with the weather and with the amazing changing seasons, which could not be more different from what had I experienced as a child. I have truly transformed into a Pacific Northwesterner!
Besides my love of teaching and of sociology, I have a few other loves as well. I’m a diehard college football fan (Go Gators!), an avid reader, a beginning painter, a so-so gardener, and a bit of a movie buff. I’m a pretty good cook too, although admittedly I hardly ever cook any more, maybe because I so despise cleaning the kitchen afterwards. I still love dance, but sadly, I feel old and stiff and frumpy compared to my younger self. I like boardgames and a couple of videogames – Zelda (recently finished Tears of the Kingdom!) and Mario Kart 8 (I will crush you!). My favorite part of life is spending time with my family and my dogs; I’m happy even if I’m just in the same room as them.
