February 1,1995
4
Campus News
TF Director keeps priorities in order
by Addie Tschamler
In the middle of a bright, spacious
office sits a large, cluttered desk, alive
with books, calendars, papers, and
announcements. Classical music
jinglessoftly through the warm, excit
ing atmosphere as if it were filled with
an exploding energetic vitality. But
anyone who enters the room becomes
aware that the main source of energy
comes from the woman this office
belongs to - Dr. Mary Johnson.
Johnson is not only the dean of
Meredith’s graduate school and direc
tor of Teaching Fellows and Continu
ing Education, but she is also a mem
ber of the Joint Committee of Teacher
Education, the Teacher Academy Task
Force and the Jaguar Athletic Booster
Club. She is awards chairperson of the
PTSA at Athens Drive High, and the
first woman appointed as chairperson
of the Administrative Board at
Macedonia United Methodist Church.
How would one describe her life
in a single word? Busy? Hectic? Crazy?
Well maybe it is best described by the
Johnson herself.
“Wonderful!” Johnson said with a
smile.
Although her day is filled with fac
ulty meetings and committee gather
ings, Johnson said her favorite part is
interacting with students.
It is hard “juggling everything and
creating harmony in life, ” Johnson said.
That is her greatest challenge. And
even though she enjoys her work at
Meredith very much, she keeps her
priorities in order.
Number one is family. Number
two is Meredith, she said.
In addition to her career and social
life, Johnson is first and foremost a
mother to her two teenage sons, a
junior at Athens Drive High School
and a student at N.C. State University.
Johnson admits that her children have
changed her life in many ways.
"They can make you honest, “
Johnson said with a serious-minded
look. “If you pay close attention to
children of any age, you can learn
lessons from life. Some are painful.”
Johnson, who attended Western
Carolina and Duke University as a psy
chology/communications major, says
she would never return to life as a
student now that she has her career.
In a capstone course she is cur
rently teaching on Tuesdays and Thurs
days entitled “Life Leadership for Ev
eryone,” Johnson recalls an exercise
the class did to describe their feelings
photo by Jan Seate
Dr. Mary Johnson's greatest challenge
is trying to juggle everything and create
harmony in life.
as college students.
“One word that kept coming up
was ‘stress.’ 1 don’t ever remember
using the word ‘stress’ when I was in
school," said Johnson. Johnson feels
that today students must cope with
much more than she did when she
attended school.
Johnson does not hesitate to recog
nize that her mother has been her great
est influence in life. She was a very
strong woman, Johnson said. “She
never let us think there was something
we couldn’t do.”
Johnson said her mother instilled
within her many values and ambitions
and always told her that “the sun may
set today, but it rises tomorrow.”
Being ambitious takes a lot of en
ergy for Johnson and she doesn’t try to
pretend that her life is always easy.
“Sometimes I have to dig deep for
energy,” said Johnson. “Sometimes it
takes just sitting by the lake or in the
chapel, going to the movies alone, or
going for a walk just to get back to
myself.”
Johnson has many responsibilities
as a dean and director, including moni
toring programs, monitoring policies,
interacting with students, answering
questions, and working'with the Teach
ing Fellows Committee - a group of
students, faculty, and staff that help
advise the program.
Butjohnson takes a keen interest in
young people and loves to be around
them. “The best part about my job is
interacting with students,” said
Johnson.
In the past, she has been a teacher
and a high school principal. She con
siders herself very lucky for getting her
job at Meredith several years ago when
she was appointed by Dr. Allen Burris.
“It’s been good!” she said with a
smile.
SALON 21
21 Glenwood Ave.
(one block up from
Hillsborough Street)
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 821-1516
r — 1
This coupon entitles you to receive $5.00
off any hair service
with selected hair stylists.
Expires 6/30/95
Good for first visit only.
I I
Events Schedule:
♦How to Sell Yourself in
the Job Interview Thurs
day February 2, 5:30-6:15 p.m.
(CS)
•How to Write an Effec
tive Resume Wednesday
February 1, 10:00-10:50 a.m.
(CS)
•Meredith Majors Fair
Wednesday, February 8, 4:30-
6:30 p.m. Wainwright Suite,
Belk
1nt ernship/C o•0 p
Update:
•Northwestern Mutual Life
•UNC Center for Public
Television
•Intersoly
•CUT
Cooperative Education is
working at
Burroughs Wellcome-
Deadline: February 10
On Campus Recruiting:
Sign-up today
for these companies:
•First Citizens
•Research Triangle Institute
•Omni Business Machines
•Hudson Belk'
•People’s Security Life
•Cacique
Employer Resume Review:
♦NationsB ank
•Central Carolina Bank
Employment
Opportunities:
Summer:
♦Burroughs Wellcome
Clerical, research/labora
tory, and administrative
positions available. Applica
tion deadline-February 28!
•Peace Corps English,
Education, and Business
majors needed now!
•NC Real Estate Commis
sion Five Renewal Clerk
positions available.