Jernei Johnson '21 Recruiting Profile

I have always wondered when my name, an overly complicated way of spelling

“journey”, would actually have value to who I am. Since before I was born, sports has been the

main influence and topic of discussion in the Johnson household. My dad and all four of my

brothers played football. Driving up to Phoenix every Friday night after a long day at school for

my brothers’ high school football games, attending prestige award banquets for my brother who

was the top running back in the country, and watching football on our large flat screen TV all

became a way of life very quickly. But, clearly football wouldn’t apply to me being that I’m the

baby sister of the bunch.

It wasn’t until 3rd grade when I decided that volleyball was going to be my sport, the

sport that I excel at and go places with. From the time I was 8-15 years old volleyball was my

life and I even became serious with playing basketball in middle school, playing both at the same

time. Within those 7 years, I spent countless hours practicing, attending summer camps and

tournaments, and my parents spending a slightly absurd amount of money for me to play on a

club team. In my mind, the pressure was all on me, the last of 5 to go to college, to receive an

athletic scholarship just like the three of my brothers who played football. Though it was until

my sophomore year school season, that the self-inflicted pressure was working for me.

It was during this season that I began to question my talents, my motivation to play, and

ultimately, if volleyball was something I even wanted to be a part of my college experience. This

thought creeping into my mind shocked me completely. “ Was all these years of investing time

and money into this sport for nothing?” By the end of that season, I came to the conclusion that I

was going to quit volleyball.

Soon after I made the official decision to quit volleyball, a significant change in my

behavior happened. I no longer had any motivation to do anything. As I began to lack motivation

to severe points, I realized I had sunken into a depression and I had no idea how to retrieve the

old, energetic and adventurous Jernei. I lost a majority of my friends and I was left with the

question, “What is it that I truly want to do with my life?” Finally, my mom approached me and

told me that she arranged for me to talk to a psychologist every Saturday until I began to feel

better.

During each session, for the first time, I was challenged to dig deep into myself and

figure out exactly what it was that was making myself feel depressed. Over the course of 2

months of being completely in tune with myself and taking the time away from what was

happening in my life, I began to realize that the moment I decided to quit volleyball, I no longer

knew what I wanted in my life. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, it was all shot

down and it astonished me that one decision transformed entirely how I felt about myself. Ever

since that day, I have been able to clearly identify the type of person that I am and my passion in

life has revealed itself. I know now that I need to keep myself busy and I need a steady routine,

and I know that running track allows me to focus on myself. If I had never quit volleyball, I

would’ve never found my love and natural talent for Track & Field. I realized I didn’t have to be

the same as my brother’s in the sense that sports would be my future. I discovered through

attending therapy what my passion is, and that it is mental health because my journey inspired

me. I guess my parents made the right decision in naming me Jernei.