Alumna’s award honors her service

When University of the District of Columbia (UDC) alum Georgette Joy Johnson stepped onto the stage in February 2022 to accept her award as Distinguished Alumni of the Year, it was the accumulation of a long journey that had begun some nine years before.

“I was extremely honored. I know the committee had to pick and vote among other great candidates, and for them to pick me it meant that my passion and hard work for UDC and the National Alumni Society was acknowledged,” Johnson said, who was among illustrious awardees including Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton at the university's  43rd Founder’s Day celebration. This year’s theme was ‘celebrating our legacy, creating our future.’   

Johnson, a native Washingtonian, came to UDC after a stint at Tennessee State University in Nashville, where she studied procurement. She returned to Washington to be close to her mom who was dealing with breast cancer. 

“I was really lost. I didn’t know what to do about my education,” Johnson said. “Fortunately my aunt works at the admission office at UDC and she guided me through my difficult times to choose UDC for finishing my undergraduate [studies].”

Johnson went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Procurement from the School of Business and Public Administration in 2013 and fell in love with the university in the process. 

“Unfortunately, procurement is no longer an option as a major at UDC and I really want to help the university to get accreditation back for that,” Johnson said.

While at UDC, Johnson joined the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and was a committee member of the Undergraduate Student Government Association to support student engagement. 

Sigma Gamma Rho is one of the four active sororities at UDC. It is a historically African- American sorority founded by black women in 1922 during segregation. The non-profit organization aims to enhance the quality of life of women and their families.

“I joined Sigma Gamma Rho because it is an organization that aligns with my goals and my passions,” Johnson said, “I am the first member of my family to join a sorority and when I first got introduced to Sigma Gamma Rho, I just thought those women were amazing and I wanted to be part of them.”

Johnson has been involved with the sorority for a decade and now serves as its off-campus advisor. After graduation, she also joined UDC's National Alumni Society (UDCNAS). 

“I had such a great experience at UDC that I wanted to stay connected with the university as much as I possibly could,” Johnson said.

UDCNAS’ purpose is to create a bridge between current students and graduates encouraging the latter to support the university after graduation. Johnson has assisted in multiple community initiatives and projects as well as co-chairing UDCNAS’ Strategic Planning Committee. She now serves as the UDCNAS communications chair creating a network for current and future Firebirds. 

“I love to see new Firebirds coming to the organization and help them make the adjustment from being a student to a graduate,” Johnson said. 

Professionally, Johnson has been a realtor for more than four years focusing on her passion for fair-housing opportunities. That work started when Johnson helped her Nashville friends find housing when they visited her in D.C. Because of what she learned from her degree she became an adept negotiator which works well in her chosen field of real estate. 

“UDC has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and it was an experience I did not expect,” Johnson said, “UDC provided me with the skills I needed to be successful in this world.”

“Who thought I was gonna be a realtor?,” Johnson said, “I was always interested with the changes of the city and I wanted to be a part of that conversation, I wanted to give a voice to those born and raised in D.C. who through they no longer had a voice in regard to housing,” Johnson said.

For Johnson, UDC has been the key to helping her transition from student to becoming a successful real estate agent.

“I am proud of my growth, from being a young lady that didn’t know what to do or where to go, and having UDC guiding me on a path so that I could become a successful person and give back to my community, really made me proud as a UDC alumni,” Johnson said.

(Johnson is shown above with from left: UDC President Ronald Mason Jr. and UDC Vice President of Advancement Rodney E. Trapp. Photo by Le’Cheay) Armstrong).