Kerrington Johnson ’23 spent the first couple of weeks of summer at NCAA events requiring special invitations.
Johnson, a finance major from Anderson, South Carolina, is a member of Wofford College’s women’s track team. She qualified for the NCAA East Regionals for the second consecutive year and competed in the 100-meter hurdles in Bloomington, Indiana. Shortly after the track meet, she participated in the NCAA’s Career in Sports Forum in Indianapolis, Indiana. Five hundred student-athletes submitted applications to participate in the forum and she was one of 200 selected.
“I want to stay involved in sports, but I don’t know what capacity yet,” says Johnson, who has an interest in student-athlete development and sports nutrition.
The four-day forum, which included 10-hour days with keynote speakers and breakout sessions, provided opportunities for student-athletes to learn about potential jobs in college athletics departments, athletic conference offices and the NCAA. There also were sessions focused on helping student-athletes think of themselves outside of their sports and they took the Clifton Strengths Assessment.
Johnson said that she learned during the forum that she has developed many valuable skills, including discipline, resiliency, empathy and she has a knack for building relationships. Those skills are transferable to many careers.
Johnson is the first Wofford student-athlete to participate in the forum since Rob Greene ’14, co-defensive coordinator for the Wofford football team.
“I was so pleased that Kerrington had the opportunity to attend the Career in Sports Forum,” says Elizabeth Rabb, Wofford’s deputy athletics director. “She is a remarkable and the world of athletics could benefit from her many talents.”
The rest of Johnson’s summer includes being one of eight students participating in a summer research project with Maya Fein, assistant professor of theatre. Johnson and others are forming a survey seeking insight on people’s mental health. The research project will also include a dance production that’s costumes, lighting and movements will reflect the narratives collected through the survey and interviews. Johnson will also study abroad in Paris. She’s a business minor with an interest in fashion, and she’ll take a course focused on fashion and business in Paris.
Johnson holds Wofford records in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles, outdoor 400-meter hurdles and indoor 60-meter hurdles. She was named to the 2021-22 Academic All-District® Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team, selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America), which recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.