Beginning at Jesuit in 2004, college counselor Peter Johnson, has announced that he will be retiring at the end of the 25-26 school year, concluding his 22 year career at Jesuit.
Mr.Johnson has been with the Counseling department for all 22 years of his time at Jesuit, having worked with multitudes of classes who have graduated from Jesuit.
When asked what has driven him to continue to work at Jesuit over the last 22 years, he mentions how he has really appreciated the faith life here at Jesuit.
“I think for sure there has been sort of that foundation of why I’ve continued to be here and really appreciate it is because of its mission and its faith base,” Johnson said.
In addition to appreciating the strong faith and campus ministry presence here at Jesuit, Johnson had two daughters who went and graduated from Jesuit, Emily Johnson ‘14 and Bre Johnson ‘17.
Mr. Johnson has had such a big impact on his students throughout his time at Jesuit.
Senior Maeve Thomas commented, “His character is amazing. He’s super kind and very patient when we’re talking. He’s very patient with me and will always check in on me to see how I’m doing.”
“He has helped me a lot with getting into loving my school even more,” Maeve adds.
Even though he did not have as much time with the current junior class as he normally would, he still made an impact on the 2027 class.
“When I was worried about SAT testing, I went and had a meeting with him and he really helped me out,” junior Ceci Vogt mentioned.
“He was super supportive and he helped me recommend colleges to look into to possibly apply for,” she adds.
Looking back on his career, Johnson is proud of the way he has helped shape the department to adapt to the ever changing college process.
“We’re working with students much earlier than we did 22 years ago, really responding to the needs of students and families, that they want to be prepared earlier and start planning earlier,” he said.
Some of Johnson’s favorite memories include playing the mandolin with Mr. Clarke on the ACE I Encounter this year.
“I’ve just been so appreciative of his willingness to let me join him,” he said.
When asked what he wants to leave his students with, he says, “It’s important to grab those opportunities that are made available to you because four years goes by very quickly for high school students.”
“Just try to fully immerse yourself in the experience as much as possible,” Johnson concluded.
Looking forward to his retirement, Johnson said, “I’m just excited for a new chapter in life. We’ve had such a wonderful run here at Jesuit, and we’re just blessed to make this transition into something new.”
