NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Series: Kelley Johnson '13

We're catching up with some of our NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients to see what they have been up to since graduating from The College of Wooster. Our third former Fighting Scot in this series is Kelley Johnson '13, a communication studies alumna. Johnson is a brands manager for Wasserman, and she's based in Columbus, Ohio.

Q: Tell us a bit about your career path since you graduated from The College of Wooster?

A: While at Wooster, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in athletics, and I decided graduate school would be my next step after graduation. I worked in Wooster's athletic department while applying to sports administration and sports management programs.

I was fortunate enough to be accepted into Ohio University's dual MBA and M.S.A. program, and prior to beginning, I completed a fellowship with Ohio's Center for Sports Administration. Throughout my time at Ohio, I worked on several consulting projects and gained a lot of hands on experience with organizations like the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the NCAA Div. I Women's Basketball National Championships, the US Men's Clay Court Championships, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Ohio IMG Sports Marketing to name a few. 

My experience at Ohio ultimately led to my interest in the agency world, and I applied to a job at Wasserman the spring of my final semester of graduate school. The next thing I knew, I was moving to Raleigh, North Carolina, to join the brands team, and I've been with Wasserman for the past three and half years.

Q: Walk us through some of the key duties at your current job?

A: I currently manage several sports partnerships for one of our brand partners, which consists of strategic planning; event activation, execution, and measurement; as well as valuing opportunities and supporting long-term strategy development. I also co-run our brands and properties internship program.

Q: Tell us about any super-cool & unique experiences you've been a part of at your current job, or at a previous job?

A: Prior to COVID, my job required a good bit of travel to various events and experiences, two of which included the Masters and Super Bowl. I was given the opportunity to walk the grounds at Augusta National Golf Club, and I'll always remember admiring the peacefulness and beauty of the course (big fan of the no cell phone rule). I also attended Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, as the NFL is one of the partnership platforms I work on currently.   

Q: Tell us about one or two people at Wooster who really helped shape your career path and set you up for a high level of success after Wooster?

A: Michelle Johnson, who is an associate professor in the communication studies department (she was my Independent Study advisor), and Sarah Davis, the head volleyball coach. Both of them took a vested interest in my role as a student-athlete, knew about and supported my goal of going to graduate school, and were actively involved in helping me achieve that by writing letters of recommendation on my behalf.

Q: Why did you choose to attend The College of Wooster?

A: I'm a first generation college student and truthfully did not know much about the college process. I knew I wanted to attend a respected academic institution and try to earn as much financial aid as possible. My brother (Matthew Johnson '10) was a student-athlete at Wooster when I was filling out applications, and I vividly remember him telling me that I would miss sports if I didn't play them in college. That was a bigger sticking point for me than I knew, and I ultimately chose Wooster as it gave me the opportunity to pursue both my academic and athletic passions.

Q: What are some of your favorite memories about your time as a student-athlete at Wooster?

A: So many it's hard to name! The early season power weekends always jump to the top. I loved road trips, and the ability to play volleyball for the full weekend in the fall is something I always reminisce about each September and October.

It was also the everyday practices. I fed off competition. Being on the court was a time that I didn't have to think; I just played. These practices also meant team dinners every night at Lowry, which our team always enjoyed together.

My senior volleyball season was special for many reasons, but one that sticks out was the opportunity to play competitively one more time with my sister, Maggie. That year we also had the chance to do a service trip to Costa Rica, thanks in large part to our coaching staff who made that a reality.

Q: Who were some of the key influencers or what were some of the key resources you utilized as a student-athlete that helped you balance out being a student and a highly-decorated athlete at the College?

A: It was my entire support system who encouraged me to excel in athletics, academics, and anything else I was involved in on campus: from my coaches, to my communication studies and general education professors, to my teammates and classmates, to those in student and residence life, to my family and boyfriend (now husband). The Wooster community and my family were major contributors to this balance.

From a resource standpoint, the writing center was an amazing resource that I utilized during my first two years. The team in the career center (now APEX) were fantastic resources my junior and senior years as I started to heavily consider graduate school.

Q: What did it mean to help put Wooster in the national spotlight as a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient?

A: It was an incredible honor. Finding out about this and my first-team College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America® selection as a senior felt like a culmination of everything I had worked for both on the court and in the classroom. Wooster is a place that truly embodies what it means to be a student and an athlete, and I hope being a recipient of this scholarship helped showcase that.

And a special thanks must go to Shelley Judge, the faculty athletic representative who led the application process!

Q: Talk about how you utilized your NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship funds?

A: I was able to attend Ohio University, the top-ranked sports administration program in the world, earning a MBA and master's in sports administration through their dual-degree program.

Q: Anything else of significance that hasn't been covered yet that would be worth including that pertains to your time at Wooster or your professional career?

A: A liberal arts education taught me to think critically and communicate effectively. The wide variety of general education courses expanded my knowledge around cultures, religions, the environment, etc. Because my teammates were experiencing the same, we could talk about practice, games, etc., but we could also talk about course topics and help each other learn and grow in that regard as well. My Wooster education set the foundation for my desire to be a lifelong learner, to stay inquisitive, and to lead with empathy.

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