Hello, my name is Lori Johnson. I am a full time student at the University of Michigan Flint. My original plan was to major in Biology with a concentration in Pre-Med but I am now majoring in Social Work with a minor in Substance Abuse Treatment. I am happy with my choice! In addition to changing my major this year, I also joined the Fostering Success of Michigan’s Student Advisory Board. I am happy that I decided to be a part of the board because I was able to plan for the Summit and help with workshop choices. I was also able to work with the other students on the board in creating a sweatshirt design which, by the way, is awesome!
     For this year’s Summit, the theme is “Make Your Mark!” One thing that I can say that made my mark was education. Going to school has helped me build my character, gain knowledge, and also help others. I currently work on campus as a Program Assistant. I love what I do because I get to have interactions with other students (whether it’s helping a student study for an exam or helping a student with homework), colleagues, and professors. Building a relationship with your professors is a good skill to have because they can potentially help you get into graduate school (by writing recommendation letters).
     What is my passion? My passion is helping people. I want to help foster youth as much as possible because I too, experienced the ins-and-outs of foster care. Going into Social Work will help me achieve putting my passion into action!