Future President: Ellie Johnson

When meeting Mary-Elise Johnson, or Ellie, for the first time, anyone can tell that she is the kind of person that will rule the world someday.

From the way she expresses herself and associates herself with people to the way she smiles she is a winner. As a dedicated dancer, president of HAW, president of Ultimate Frisbee Club, and captain of the cross country and track teams, she sets an example too many students of the kindness and tenacity required for leadership.

Ellie believes that she received the sterling scholar nomination for social sciences because she has a real interest in history and how it applies to us now.

“It really goes beyond random stuff that happened in the 1800s or 300 B.C.” Johnson said. “Social sciences are things like psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Understanding and appreciating those things gives you an understanding of humanity that you can’t get any other way.”

Since her freshman year, Johnson has been running track. Gary Rowles, a history teacher and head track and cross country coach, has not only been Johnson’s track coach, but also taught her in AP U.S. History.

“In class she is very involved, she is very interested,” Rowles said. “She was a leader in any class discussions we would have.”

Johnson has only taken three social studies classes at Highland: Honors Geography, AP World History, and AP US History. She believes that in what has lacked with quantity was made up with quality. She found both the teachers and the subject to be excellent.

“There was something about AP US history that I really liked,” Johnson said. “It was a more specific topic than AP World so it was easier to understand and analyze patterns in history because it was centralized around one country.”

Johnson not only immerses herself in everything that she does inside and outside of school, she also excels. Not only is she one of the top varsity female runners on the cross country team, but also Highland’s top female hurdler.

“She never just takes minimum effort, she maximizes her potential,” Rowles said. “I believe that her dedication in the classroom as well as on the track complement each other.”

Over the years, Ellie has worked together an impressive resume. Leadership has been a big part of her high school life. Social science wasn’t the first category of Sterling Scholar that Johnson thought about trying out for. She tried out for English and Visual Arts and thought about social sciences as more of a side thing. Past winners in the category have been people who hold leadership roles around the community, as sports captains and student officials much like Johnson.

“She is a leader in the sense of a good example to others as far as hard work and of being the best you can be,” Rowles said. “She has rallied the younger runners; she encourages them with her positivity. She is a good influence.”
With a smile and enthusiastic tone, Ellie uses her role as a leader to the fullest. Helping whoever she can in any way that she can, Johnson does what she can to make the experience of those around her more positive.

“I didn’t really know her well until this year,” Will Olsen, Highland’s freshman president and a member of the cross country team, said. “She has been a good leader. She knew how to run and could always give me pointers. She is honestly just a really good person.”