Brian Johnson ’02 poses with President Emeritus Norman C. Francis ’52.

For Brian Johnson, ‘02, Xavier was always his first choice. He first learned of Xavier while in junior high school through a summer STEM program. Getting an acceptance letter was joyous, until tragedy struck. He lost his mother unexpectedly, sending him into a tailspin in his final year of high school, and his dream now seemingly deferred.

On the brink of homelessness, he took a major risk when he wrote a letter to Xavier’s then-President, Dr. Norman C. Francis, that would change the trajectory of his life. In the letter, Johnson poured his heart out, detailing what the last year of his life had been like, and expressed his desire to attend Xavier. Despite receiving scholarships to contribute to his educational costs, he needed additional support. Within days, Johnson received a call from a staff member at the University to tell him that Dr. Francis had received his letter and made an executive decision.

“Dr. Francis told the staff to get me whatever I needed. I was moved into St. Michael’s dormitory,” Johnson recalled. “I made it my mission that day to ensure Dr. Francis would not be disappointed. I was very aggressive in terms of wanting to make him proud.”

As a mass communication major, Johnson was active within the department. He joined the editorial team of The Xavier Herald, and he worked as a reporter for XTV News. His time with XTV afforded him the opportunity to interview Dr. Francis on several occasions, giving his mentor a front-row seat to his talent as a rising journalist.

Johnson quickly expanded his work beyond Xavier’s campus. During his freshman year, he landed a summer internship at the local NBC News station, something no other freshman had done before.

“I called the station every day. At the time, their policy was that you had to be a junior in order to intern, but after calling so many times, I was told to come in for a conversation,” he laughed. “It wasn’t even a formal interview; they were just curious to see who I was because of my tenacious attitude. I showed them my portfolio of work that I’d done at Xavier thus far, and the rest is history.”

By his junior year, he landed a weekend anchor/reporter position at an ABC affiliate news station in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“I was a full-time student during the week, and I drove to Mississippi on the weekends for work. I did that until I graduated,” he said. “Before graduating, I’d already signed a contract to work at another NBC station in a larger market.”

Today, Johnson is the Vice President of Communications of National Account Services for ADP. He credits Dr. Francis for jumpstarting his success.

“I get emotional when I think about what Dr. Francis did for me. He’s the reason I give back. As a communications executive at a major Fortune 200 company, I'm now doing my part to develop the next generation of communicators,” Johnson affirmed.

Your support ensures that stories like Brian Johnson’s are not exceptions, but part of a continuing promise—one where every student with talent and determination has the opportunity to thrive. Give today to help Xavier meet scholars in their moment of need and carry them toward lives of purpose, leadership, and impact.