Johanna is a canvass organizer, adoptee, and researcher who brings both lived experience and academic insight to every space she enters. Her work is rooted in a deep care for people, a commitment to dialogue, and a belief that truth-telling—especially from those who are often unheard—is the foundation of real change.
With a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Johanna has studied how systemic racism and cultural identity shape the emotional and developmental lives of young people of color. As a research assistant in a developmental psychology lab, she contributed to a project exploring risk and resilience factors in Black and Latino/Hispanic cultural and peer environments. She recruited families directly from the community and facilitated conversations that asked bold, vulnerable questions. These interviews were not easy, but they were powerful, affirming, and often healing. Her work emphasizes the significance of helping young people identify, explore, and affirm their racial and cultural identities as a means to promote mental health, empowerment, and a sense of belonging.
Now, in her canvassing work, Johanna draws on both her research and her lived experience to build trust in the field, uplift community voices, and create space for transformative conversations. She believes that connection—not perfection—is what drives lasting change, and she works to ensure that everyone she meets feels seen, heard, and valued.