Class of 2025 Senior Spotlight: Ahnah Johnson, Lafayette High

When she was a Green Pines Elementary fourth-grader – then again as a Wildwood Middle seventh-grader – Ahnah Johnson underwent operations to treat a recurring tumor in her brain.

She came out of the experience determined to pursue a career in medicine and, hopefully, find new ways to treat pediatric patients like her in the future.

“I was able to look at the doctors and nurses and see how they helped me not only physically but mentally,” said Johnson, a Lafayette High senior. “I want to help people that go through the same thing as me, so I want to focus on neurology. That experience with two brain surgeries brought me to where I am now.”

She also knew pursuing a degree in medicine would be a lengthy and costly process. So, as a sophomore, she enrolled in the Early College Partnership (ECP), a full-immersion, early entrance to college program located on the campuses of St. Louis Community College that allows Rockwood students to earn an associate degree as well as their high school diploma.

Johnson plans to enroll at the University of Missouri-Columbia in the fall. When she does, she will already have two years of credits under her belt and be two years closer to medical school. Washington University in St. Louis is her dream destination.

“I knew I wanted to be a doctor, and I wanted to find the quickest way I could go,” she said. “I knew ECP would be the move. I’m saving money and getting education quicker.”

Throughout high school, Johnson has embraced opportunities through the UMSL Bridge, St. Louis Internship and Girl Power programs to focus on leadership skills and college readiness.

She has also continued to play violin – which she first started learning as a Green Pines third-grader – with the Lafayette sinfonia orchestra.

“Orchestra helps calm me, especially when I get stressed,” she said. “Orchestra has been that go-to for me, and I absolutely love it.”

Even though she spent the majority of her final two years of high school on a college campus, Johnson credits her Rockwood experience with helping prepare her for the next step.

From the counselor who has talked her through post-graduate paths to the language arts teacher who taught her calming breathing methods to Scott Haxton, her sophomore year chemistry teacher who helped convince her she could handle the ECP courseload, Rockwood has left a positive impact on Johnson.

“The staff has helped me the most,” she said. “I talk to a lot of my teachers, and they always give me motivation to continue on because I know the route I’m going is going to be difficult. My time here, I’ve been very happy. There was not a time in Rockwood where I wasn’t happy and people weren’t supporting me. That helped me a lot.”