RECOGNITION

JA began winning awards and being recognized when she was growing up.  She was Junior/Senior Class President, Junior prom princess and Senior prom Queen.   However, even before then she had won and held many offices in the chapter (school) level and district level of Future Homemakers of America, which was a nation wide leadership organization.  She would go on to become the first African American state president of the New York delegation.   She also won several best speaker of debate awards during her school's, Buffalo Traditional, two year undefeated run.  Which culminated in the championship win over City Honors her Senior year and Johnette winning best speaker of the debate.  She was also awarded The Best Speaker Award for the city.  Senior year graduation would also lead to the Brotherhood/ Sisterhood Award in youth,  The Principle's Award, The president's Award signed by then President Clinton and the Clarkson University Leadership award and Scholarship.  She also won third place for a poem she wrote and performed in a Links Organization talent show.  That and other performances and features of her work in the newspaper and on the radio would prove to have been a better indicator of who JA would become.