Aaron Johnson

Background

About Aaron Johnson

I was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I remained there through high school graduation, when I went to college for one year at the University of South Dakota, where I attended class very little, earned poor and nearly failing grades, and then dropped out of school. This was the best decision I could make. I moved to Nebraska, and worked for five years in low-skilled, low-wage work. One day, I decided that I wanted to do more. I visited Southeast Community College in Lincoln, Nebraska. They enrolled me in an accounting course that happened to be starting the next day. I completed that course, and then several others. I worked hard (paying my own tuition helped a lot with that), and excelled. I graduated with an A.A.S. in accounting, and then went on to earn a B.S. in Finance from the University of Nebraska. From there, I moved to Arkansas, and worked for 5 years at the United Way of Northwest Arkansas as their finance director. I decided to return to school, and started teaching a finance course to see what it would be like. I enjoyed it very much, and finalized my decision to attend graduate school. I joined the University of Arkansas' Economics department in 2008, where I continued by journey. I was chosen from my department to attend a summer school conference in Iseo, Italy in 2009. There, I met my wife, Zdenka. We were married shortly thereafter, in late 2010. I moved to Prague, and taught part-time as I finished my dissertation. After graduation in 2012, I accepted the position of Graduate Business Programs Manager here at the University of New York in Prague. I take with me so many rich lessons from my past: Second chances can be well worth the risk. We each have the power to do much more than we think. Motivation is vital to success. Lifetime learning is one of the most rewarding goals you can have. I now work to impart these life lessons on a new generation of students here in Prague, and wherever I am blessed to meet them.