Jonathan “JJ” Johnston has a broad-based artistic ability which includes sculpture, sketching, creating caricatures, and commercial art with an emphasis on videos. As JJ became more involved with his art, he discovered that it created an inner peace, and produced a positive influence on all aspects of his life.
JJ recognizes the importance of this inner peace, and School Librarian Kathy Spar notes that “His positive leadership has resulted in his ability to calm students who might cause harm to others. For example, he intervened when a student got out of control, and his steady communication skills allowed the student to calm down and to successfully rejoin the class.” Economics and math teacher, Dr. George Deneault, says that “JJ helps his classmates understand that avenues other than anger can help them get out of negative situations.”
JJ studies TV and Media Production at the Fairfax Academy, operated by FCPS, to prepare himself for a career. He is one of the class leaders, and he assists other students to operate state-of-the-art video equipment.
Anne Lewis, JJ’s art teacher, says, “He sets a great example of compassion, self-awareness, humor, and a tremendous work ethic for our school community. JJ often arrives at school full of thoughts and ideas he wants to share with staff and students. Sometimes these thoughts are observations about people or world events, and sometimes JJ just wants to express his boundless enthusiasm for certain movies or memes. It’s a rare school day when JJ doesn’t make at least a few people pause for thought, or laugh out loud with him. He takes pride in doing his work to the best of his ability. JJ places himself in other people’s shoes so that he can understand their point of view. His ability to admit fault, ask forgiveness, and offer understanding and forgiveness to others is well beyond his years.”
JJ plans to enroll in NOVA Community College and pursue a career in commercial art. He hopes that he can use his skills to help others reach the inner peace that art has given him