At the beginning of a new academic year, there are plenty of fresh faces on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus. From students to faculty, there are many individuals who are learning to navigate classes, employment and life at a university.
Many students taking courses in the Department of Kinesiology have encountered a new face this year with Assistant Professor Rebekah Johnson, but she actually has a long history with UW-Whitewater.
Johnson is a two-time alumna of UW-Whitewater, having earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the university. Originally seeking an undergraduate degree in human resources management, Johnson made the switch to physical education during her first semester on campus.
Johnson cites UW-Whitewater’s business school and volleyball program as the primary factors in her college decision. Johnson earned her undergraduate degree and landed a teaching job in physical education.
While teaching at the middle and high school levels, Johnson stumbled upon a realization.
“I had hoped to someday be in higher education full time,” Johnson said. “I knew the master’s was the next step.”
As a result, Johnson returned to UW-Whitewater to begin working on her master’s degree. She cited a flexible program and prior faculty connections as her main reasons for opting to continue her education at the same institution that awarded her bachelor’s degree.
Alongside her academic accolades, Johnson has extensive teaching experience. She taught health and physical education at Deerfield Middle and High School. After some time, another opportunity came knocking at Nikolay Middle School.
“I was able to bring health into their middle school. They didn’t have a health class, and they wanted someone with that experience,” Johnson said. “I had created my own health curriculum at Deerfield, so I was able to bring that and start the health program.”
Not only has Johnson taught at secondary schools, but she has also taught at Carthage College. She stated that she could work as an exercise and sports science teacher due to her master’s degree.
However, four years into teaching at Carthage, Johnson took another huge step. She knew that to become a full-time and tenured professor, she needed to earn a doctorate degree. Subsequently, Johnson enrolled in an online Doctor of Education program at Arizona State University.
“For me, accessibility was really important. I had to be able to do the work while I was still working full time,” Johnson said. “What drew me to ASU is you were working closely with some of the best professors. One of the most prolific researchers in physical education is there.”
Johnson will be completing her doctoral degree this semester.
For years, Johnson knew she wanted to return to UW-Whitewater to instruct students in the very program from which she graduated.
“I’ve been watching for years, watching every time there was a posting,” Johnson said. “I was never far enough along in my educational journey to qualify until last year.”
Johnson described the excitement and nerves she felt regarding her return, emphasizing the newly found connections with her students. She explained that before graduating from UW-Whitewater, she wanted to serve as a role model like her professors.
Johnson has a variety of professional goals, which include publishing in journals and presenting at conferences. However, she has made it clear that her students will always come first.
“Ultimately, I’m a teacher first, and so I want to be the best teacher for my students,” Johnson said. “I want to be a lifelong role model and mentor for them, and it all starts with the classroom.”
Outside of finishing her doctoral degree and teaching at UW-Whitewater, Johnson names recreational volleyball and traveling as some of her hobbies, along with supporting her children in their activities.
With graduation from ASU rapidly approaching, Johnson is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Education will always be one of her passions, and she will continue to give back to the community that allowed her to flourish.