Mocha Girl on a Mission: Donise Johnson

I am a Mocha Girl on a mission because…

When I make up my mind about doing something that is life progressing, I do it. I graduated from Penn State University in May 2012 and throughout my four years there, I can honestly say that I learned a lot about myself. With such a huge campus it was very easy to get lost in the mix of the 40,000 people who are there, and when I say lost I mean that literally, mentally and spiritually. I was a part of a few organizations: African dance, home coming committee, and black student union, just to name a few.  There was one organization that gave me a life changing experience. It was the United Soul Ensemble gospel choir. My christian faith was stronger than ever when I joined that choir, and the members, who I consider my extended family poured into my life abundantly. I didn’t start my college career off with them, but I am definitely blessed to have ended it with them. I thank God for a lot that has taken place in my life thus far, but one thing specifically I thank him for, is a strong, supportive, and protective Mother.

Any thing that I wanted to become involved in, she was right there behind me 100 percent, even if I wasn’t the best at it. Whether it was girls scouts; piano lessons; dance; drama; sports; and now currently serving in the U.S. Army, she was right by my side through it all. I’ll be 23 November 28, 2013 and I have accomplished more things than I even realize sometimes, despite the odds. If there is one thing that I could pass on for encouragement to other females it would be “Know your worth and God, and get an all expense paid trip to the rest your life.”

Obstacles I’ve Overcome…

I have never let the upsets in life keep me down for long. I couldn’t because it wasn’t in me. I was a soldier before I actually became a soldier. For example, I have always struggled in math, me and that subject just never got along, but that didn’t stop me from eventually excelling in it. I didn’t care if I had to stay after school everyday to get it, and even in college I was knocking on my professor’s door constantly. I wasn’t giving up until I got it, and I did. I used to not smile, and look depressed when my parents separated, and people would come up to me and say, ” Why are you frowning girl, you’re hiding that beautiful smile”. At the time, I didn’t think there was anything to smile about, but I slowly came to realize that I had plenty of reasons to be happy. I couldn’t let anyone steal my joy, even if it was my own parents. Life went on so I had to too. I handle a lot of my obstacles in a similar way. God has gotten me through a lot of obstacles so all credit goes to him when its all said and done.

My Greatest Accomplishments…

My greatest accomplishments to date would be, graduating from Penn State University maintaining my 3.0 GPA, and joining the U.S. Army, where I not only do my assigned military occupation specialty, but also a paratrooper. I am trained to jump out of high performance planes from 1200 to 800 ft. Its a liberating experience.

Can you relate to any aspects of Donise’s story? If so, please share your feedback below!