She might not have a byline in Essence magazine right now – but Joie Johnson-Walker is so incredibly driven and passionate that her dream of being in Essence will definitely become a reality in the future. The broadcast journalism major and African-American Studies minor is a busy gal – and her list of extracurriculars shows!
As President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc.’s Delta Mu chapter, financial member of the National Council of Negro Women and ambassador of Pretty Girls Sweat, Joie is definitely an involved and valued Temple Owl. And it’s no surprise to us, since she has been a featured Campus Celebrity on Her Campus Temple before! But this time, Joie is gracing our site as a candidate to be Temple’s next Homecoming Queen. Check out if she’ll get your vote!
If you were a salad, what part of the salad would you be and why? “The little specks in red wine vinaigrette. I’m mixed into campus and the community, being my own person and adding my own pizzazz to things. The dressing isn’t big but doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Hobbies: Playing with hair, singing, working out (“it’s a release for me”), spending time with friends.
Most embarrassing moment: “Because my name “Joie” is French and doesn’t sound the way it looks, people throw a lot of different options out there – Joey, Jolie, Joy – all these other names. When I was younger I used to be shy to correct people about pronouncing my name. So when I was graduating kindergarten, I walked across the stage and they called out “Joey Johnson-Walker.” My world crumbled at the time. I was like “oh no, they said my name wrong!” From that moment on, I wanted to correct people – not to be nasty, but I have pride in my name.”
Plans after college: Joie is going to apply to five graduate schools (American University, NYU, Columbia, Syracuse and Hofstra) and plans to get her Masters in media studies. She hopes to get an internship or part-time job that would help her land a career at Essence magazine.
Why should you be Homecoming Queen? “I embody the qualities that make a leader. I have Temple spirit and everything I do is with intention. In African-American studies there is a term called ‘Sankofa,’ which means ‘to go back and retrieve.’ Through your life and the legacy you want to leave, you can be awesome and make strides – but you should bring someone with you. It’s not about the individual – it’s about ‘us.’ So that’s one thing I’m passionate about in my world and I want to spread that within the community.”
If she is crowned Homecoming Queen, Joie hopes to bring her personal “Sankofa” mission to life with a North Philadelphia community service project. After living in North Philadelphia for the past three years, Joie noticed that local teenagers need the most support. She hopes to implement a bi-weekly or monthly program that focuses on personal and professional development for high school students. It’s not shocking that this natural-born leader strives to help those around her.
You can vote for Joie or any of the other Homecoming candidates on Temple’s Homecoming Court website.