Garrett Johnson

Background

About Garrett Johnson

When you are a kid, you hear adults say,"video games will rot your mind." That was not true for me, although I was not playing popular video games either. Enter Sim City This game was instrumental in shaping my interest in visualizing information and urban planning.Cites are becoming increasingly complex and require a multidimensional approach to solving growing pains. What I enjoy is finding solutions and connecting resources. Community engagement is a large part of that process to solve complex city issues. I like to listen to create a solution that benefits the stakeholder – in this case, the community. Some significant projects fail or have to be redone by not listening to the people benefiting from it.I love learning new things. I am enrolled in a geographic information systems GIS class at Pasadena City College. It has opened a world of creativity and data that I am in love with. Maps are a passion for me. They tell visional stories and universally convey data. This is defiantly a skill set I am going to keep developing.I always strive to achieve a goal and to be the best. When I worked for OptumRX, I consistently maintain top 5% performance in all four-company locations. Within a year earned several bonuses and a top raise. After two years, I was an "employee of the month."A goal I had was to complete my undergrad degree. After months of planning, I quit OptumRX and drove full time for Lyft so I could finish school. Although driving is easy, being a rideshare driver requires discipline, patience, and time management. It was worth it because it afforded me the flexibility to study abroad in Hong Kong and not have to take on more considerable student debt.Outside of school and work, I help organize plays under my theatre company "Underdog Theater Company." We have three stage plays and one improv show under our belt.