LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Andrew Johnson was nominated by a student.

"'I said you are family now, and I meant it,' Mr. Johnson told me after a long talk about what I was going through my sophomore year at Arrowhead High School. I didn't think much of how upset I was then, but when Mr. Johnson said this, it was a promise. He never broke it," said the student.

"It was summer going into my sophomore year. My life was a raging fire, and I couldn't take one more second of that pure chaos and unlivable nightmare, and then—an angel appeared. I went to a football scrimmage. I had two incoming freshmen friends, so I walked over to the grass field, where I saw the man I always thought was terrifying. Mr. Johnson approached me and one of my best friends at the time," said the student.

"I am in desperate need of managers. Please, Please, Please," said Johnson.

"I thought he was kidding. Me? A football manager? I don't think so. However, one thing I have learned about Mr. Johnson is that he is determined," said the student.

"Think about it and email me," Johnson said.

"I went about my week not thinking much of it until one Friday my mom said if I didn't play field hockey anymore I needed to find something to do. I emailed Mr. Johnson and told him I was in," said the student.

"The following weeks were fun. Game days and practices after a stressful school day were like an escape. I felt at peace for once. As the days went on, I became friends with the team and had a close bond with the coaches. I remember Mr. Johnson making me feel motivated and that I counted for something. To him, I mattered, which I never felt before," said the student.

"After a game at Muskego High School, I got the worst news that someone can get. Someone very close to me had passed away. It was the bus ride home, and I remember that I couldn't stop crying. I didn't even have to explain anything to Mr. Johnson. He just knew right away. Mr. Johnson is an empathetic person. He has a beautiful heart underneath his tough skin," said the student.

"After the season ended, I was lucky to still have the opportunity to be around Mr. Johnson. I did not have him as an English teacher, but that did not matter. I spent my sixth-hour lunch every day in his classroom learning about English. That is when I realized he is a good coach and a wonderful teacher," said the student.

"I would talk to him about every inconvenience, and he would sit, listen, and advise me. I remember telling him about my situation and him saying, 'You were born a fighter.' That stuck with me. The strongest person I know said I was a fighter. For the first time in my life, I believed I could get through it," said the student.

"I cannot talk about Mr. Johnson without talking about the whole Johnson family. He has a wonderful wife who runs two stores in downtown Delafield, whom I started working for in September. She has the kindest heart. He also has two boys, Lucas and Dylan, whom I have been babysitting for about a year. They have bubbly personalities and love their parents so much," said the student.

"Once I started thinking about my future, I realized Mr. Johnson helped me write it out. I have always wanted to be a journalist in New York but never knew what kind. Sports journalism. That's it. He made it all click. He made life make sense," said the student.

"Most of all, Mr. Johnson taught me that family can be chosen, and as long as I live, he will be mine," said the student.