Madison Johnson currently serves as Miss Sophomore for the 2021 and 2022 academic school year.
Johnson’s major is mass communication. She is from Dallas, Texas.
“One of my immediate short term goals will be to get through this semester,” Johnson said. “I was recently accepted into honors college so that’s exciting and I want to continue my 4.0 gpa and then my long term goals would basically be to graduate with honors. That’s really what I really want to do.”
Making honors college generally means that you are learning the material that you are supposed to learn very well and that you are doing your best to take your education seriously and to prepare yourself for whatever you are going to do after graduation.
What she likes the most about being a student at Grambling is that she knows that she is loved, and cared for and that the community is out to ensure each other are successful.
She said her greatest breakthrough has come through running for Miss Sophomore.
“I think by running as Miss Sophomore, I really learned more about myself. It helped me a lot with my confidence, and I know that everyone struggles with self esteem as well at sometime, but it has really helped me learn to love myself and being a voice for the students,” she said.
Johnson said loves helping others and giving back to the community and being Miss Sophomore has really been one of the amazing experiences that she has ever had to serve her community and student body.
She previously volunteered at her high school for senior service and early childhood learning.
“I was a teacher's assistant, and worked with the kids, played with them during recess. I also like to volunteer at the boys and girls club, and go to nursing homes,” she said.
Johnson is also part of the Biological Doctoral Society at Grambling. They recently just had a donation drive for victims of Hurricane ida.
“Both of my parents went to Grambling State University. So it was like coming to my parents' alma mater. They always speak so highly of Grambling and making the decision on coming here. And would have a great support system,” Johnson said. “When you come to Grambling I have learned that you're just not a number you truly matter, and it really is a place where everyone is somebody.”
The one word Johnson said that describes her the most is, “meticulous, I am very careful with everything that I do. I take my time. I would probably consider myself as a perfectionist. I like everything to be and order and to be correct.”
Johnson said the requirements to be Miss Sophomore are pretty simple.
“I believe that the requirements to be Miss Sophomore is that you have to have a 2.5 gpa. And you have to be a sophomore with 30 or more credit hours,” she said.
When running there is a campaign season and you have to go to one of the two interest meetings.
“And there is a nomination convention after that, and you or someone else can nominate to run, and then there is a parade. I believe you can have up to 3 cars and you can make posters. And you get on a platform,” she said. “And my platform was mental health, especially in the black community, especially with men because a lot of times men are taught that to be vulnerable will make you weak, I just wanted to know that if actually do it, it will make you strong. “
Johnson said her inspiration for running as Miss Sophomore were her parents who have guided her and helped her since birth and “most importantly God has guided me entirely through this whole process.”
She said she reads her bible, she journals and talks to God to keep her relationships stronger. Johnson said among her strengths is that God has gifted her with a spirit of discernment and so she can listen to the Holy Spirit and know what’s right and what’s not right.
Johnson said she looks forward to becoming a mass communication professional.
“The one woman that I have looked up to the most has been Oprah Winfrey. Especially being a mass communication major, I have always admired how she is able to communicate and have great conversations with the people she interviews,” Johnson said.
Johnson thinks Oprah is an amazing interviewer and she has always looked up to her because of her being a great speaker.
“Starting off as a black woman in this field is very difficult to the point where she knows it’s very amorable,” she said.
