Carly Johnson
Senior Carly Johnson will be majoring in journalism at the University of Georgia. During her campus tour, she was instantly attracted to the school’s atmosphere and was intrigued by the Double Dawgs program.
“I love the big school feeling,” Johnson said. “It felt like all the students there really loved the school, and that was super important. They also have a Double Dawgs program where you can get your bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years so, in the end, I picked it for that reason.”
Johnson began her path in journalism freshman year at McCallum; she has been on the yearbook staff her entire high school career. This year she took on the position of editor-in-chief of the yearbook and discovered her passion for this subject area.
“Yearbook has been awesome because I’ve been able to meet and learn about new things and people at McCallum,” Johnson said. “It really opens up your mind, and I love that aspect of it. It’s also just fun being able to create something of my own.”
Johnson felt that continuing to study journalism in college was an effortless decision due to her experience and passion for it.
“I feel like it was almost just natural to continue with journalism because I’ve been doing it for so long,” she said. “My favorite memory would be working on the yearbook this year. I finally got to create my own, and I love being able to do it for my class. I think it turned out so well, and I’ll never forget it.”
In addition to Johnson’s involvement in MacJ, she has been an avid soccer player throughout her time at McCallum. She will miss the sport and feels that it has built priceless memories and friendships over the last four years.
“The main thing I’m involved in is probably soccer,” Johnson said. “I’ve loved soccer because I like seeing my friends all the time and being able to experience such fun games with them.”
Johnson’s favorite Mac memory was Taco Shack 2021. To her, that moment was one of the highlights of her senior year, an ultimate last triumph.
“I think my favorite memory was Taco Shack this year because everyone finally got to come back together and it felt so good to win in my last year,” Johnson said.
Johnson is eager to navigate the independence of post-high school life but will miss the comfort of home.
“I’m excited to learn how to do things on my own, having a lot of free time, and just moving on to the next chapter of my life,” Johnson said. “I think I’ll miss just being a kid and seeing my parents every day, I feel like I’m going to be uncomfortable because it’s just a new environment so I’ll miss having the feeling of comfort.”
Johnson will miss McCallum’s warm and welcoming community. She feels that Mac’s faculty has cultivated a nurturing environment that has been greatly influential in inspiring her passions and interests.
“I love the teachers,” she said. “They’re always so happy and care about us despite the circumstances they are given.”
Although, Johnson is still exploring and defining her path after college, she hopes to apply her love for journalism and yearbook to her future career.
“I just want to work at some sort of magazine company in order to have a mix of designing and writing about fun new things happening,” Johnson said.
Photos courtesy of Carly Johnson. Caption and reporting by Amaya Collier.
Varsity Girls Soccer (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th), Team Captain (11th, 12th)
2020 All-District Honorable Mention
2021 All-District First Team
2022 All-District First Team
2022 District Defensive MVP
McCallum Yearbook Staff (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th) 2022 Editor in Chief (10th, 11th, 12th)
Student Council (10th, 11th, 12th)
National Honor Society (11th, 12th)