By: Sean Cartell
UK Media Relations
Junior Kentucky golfer Katie Johnson always knows what it takes to make people feel better. Whether it is encouraging a teammate, helping the community in one of her many service projects or helping a schoolmate in the classroom, the Lexington, Ky. native is willing to lend a helping hand.
Known affectionately by her teammates as ?Dr. J.,? Johnson definitely does not want that to stop when she concludes her collegiate golf career. A biology major, she has aspirations to become a pediatrician.
?I?d like to specialize in pediatrics ? maybe pediatric oncology ? because I?ve always gotten along well with kids,? Johnson said. ?It?s really interesting, and being able to work with and help kids dealing with the disease would be a tremendous privilege.?
Rewind to the fall of 2003 when Johnson, a Paul Dunbar High School graduate, first set foot on the campus of her hometown school. Johnson walked on to the Kentucky golf team looking to help the squad achieve its goals and postseason objectives.
?Being accepted as a walk-on to the Kentucky women?s golf team has shaped my college career,? Johnson said. ?The past few years on the course have been the best golfing years of my life. I?ve gotten a lot stronger physically and mentally, and my game has improved since high school.?
Johnson participated in her first collegiate tournament ? the Edwin Watts/Pinehurst Golf Challenge ? during her sophomore season. The tournament gave her confidence on the links and helped her develop as a player.
?I qualified for my first varsity tournament in the spring of my sophomore year and got to go to Pinehurst,? Johnson said. ?College golf is very different from high school, and I think just traveling and seeing how strong the field is made me better. Before I traveled, I had the idea that the top players were head-and-shoulders ahead of me.
?Once I got to play in a college tournament, I realized that the top players have gotten to where they are because they work hard, practice hard, play hard and they believe that they deserve to win. I kind of saw that I had just as good of a chance to play well as anyone else. That gave me a little confidence, which allowed me to relax, play and get a little bit better.?
Kentucky head golf coach Stephanie Barker agrees and notes that Johnson has quickly become an integral part of her team.
?We are very fortunate to have an extraordinary individual like Katie as a member of this team,? Barker said. ?Katie is the type of player that reminds coaches of why this profession is so rewarding. She has worked hard on her swing, her short game, and her mental game in order to shave several strokes of her scoring average to become a consistent traveler.?
But Johnson?s efforts on the golf course are not the only elements of her success. She is a stellar student in the classroom and, according to Barker, epitomizes the definition of a student-athlete.
?Katie works hard in the classroom to maintain a high GPA with the intention of becoming a doctor,? Barker said. ?She shows great character and leadership skills on a daily basis by always showing her teammates and coaches respect, as well as standing up for what she believes. She is the type of player and person that is so appreciative of everything this institution and athletic program has to offer its student-athletes.?
Johnson is a member of UK?s Honors College and belongs to the school?s Frank G. Ham Society of Character. She is the golf team?s representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a secretary for the organization. In addition, she is a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity on campus that focuses on leadership, fellowship and service.
The junior golfer has been named to the Southeastern Conference Honor Roll and was named a Division I American Scholar by the National College Golf Coaches? Association. Johnson also is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, an honorary leadership fraternity that participates in several community service projects.
Her interest in medicine stems from a high school anatomy class that got the life-long Lexington resident fascinated by the medical field.
?My interest in medicine kind of stemmed from my interest in science,? Johnson said. ?I have always been pretty good at science, and my favorite classes throughout school were biology classes. My senior year of high school, I needed a class to fill out my schedule and I decided to take anatomy. The topics in that class were pretty much medical and it led to my decision to major in biology with the hope of going to medical school.?
And for Johnson, who always seems to be giving of herself, the chance to pursue a career in the medical field is just another opportunity to assist others around her.
Having the ability to combine a love for science with helping others is a perfect fit for Johnson, whose interest in biology was peaked by some of her classes at UK.
?After having taken a few college-level biology courses, I?ve learned a lot about cellular biology and genetics, and how cancer develops and spreads. It?s really interesting, and being able to work with and help kids dealing with the disease would be a tremendous privilege.?
Johnson?s teammates appreciate her love for medicine and already come to her for advice about their aches and coughs.
?My teammates starting calling me ?Dr. J? last semester,? Johnson said. ?One of my teammates, Elizabeth Dotson, had a sore throat one day and asked her roommate and teammate Beth Felts about it. Beth said, ?Ask KJ, she is the doctor.? So now, anytime anyone has a medical question or something related to health to discuss, they always ask me.?
And for Dr. J, the future looks bright both on professionally and on the course.
?Katie is such a remarkable person at her young age,? Barker said. ?She is a wonderful person to coach and we all enjoy having her around as a positive impact on this program.”
