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PARKER, TX: The great Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Allen High School senior, Makenzie Johnson, took that to heart and realized her dream as she signed the National Letter of Intent on November 9. Johnson will be attending Brigham Young University (BYU) on an athletic scholarship, joining their women’s gymnastics team in the Fall of 2012.
Johnson, who lives in Parker, was thrilled when BYU made an official scholarship offer. “I found out about the offer while I was at work,” remembers Johnson. “I was so excited that I told the other employees and the customers that I just got a college scholarship.”
BYU assistant coach Shauna Mertz, is excited about the commitment too. “She will be a great addition to our team, and I am thrilled she wants to come to BYU,” she wrote in an e-mail. “We are so excited to be getting such a talented and beautiful athlete.”
After making a verbal commitment, Johnson went to BYU for an official visit October 21 and 22. There she met with the coaches, toured the training and student athlete facilities, checked out the main campus, attended BYU football and volleyball games, and enjoyed team dinners with the current BYU gymnasts.
Brigham Young University is a private university sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which Johnson is a member. However, students with other religious preferences are also welcome to attend. The BYU gymnastics team, which includes some non-Latter-day Saint athletes, finished the 2011 season ranked 27th in the NCAA standings.
Johnson, who trains 28 plus hours a week at Elite Champion Gymnastics (ECG) in Plano, has competed in the Junior Olympic National Invitational Tournament the past three years, winning first, seventh and second place all-around, respectively. She also earned the all-around champion title at the prestigious 2011 Houston National Invitational, where she took gold on floor exercise, silver on vault, and bronze on balance beam and uneven parallel bars.
Her coaches, Helen Verucchi and Anatoli Toropov, are happy her efforts have paid off. “Mak is a dedicated and hard-working gymnast,” notes Verucchi. “She will really be an asset to BYU.”
As much as she loves gymnastics, Johnson takes her academic career seriously too. She has a 3.78 GPA and is ranked in the top fifth of her class. “My parents wanted me to have a public school education and I am really grateful that we’re in Allen ISD,” she says. “The off-campus P.E. program, along with a few distance learning courses, has allowed me to continue my morning and afternoon workouts and still be on campus for the required classes.”
Disney’s creation, Jiminy Cricket, sang that dreams come true when you wish upon a star. Johnson knows it takes more than that. With determination, tenacity, and perseverance your dreams really do come true.
