Jonaie Johnson: Living example of “Hard work never goes in vain”
COLUMBIA, MO. — It has been observed that most of the greatest players have come from the weakest backgrounds, but they never let themselves drown; instead, they grab their weakness and turn it into their strength by working hard. Jonaie Johnson is that person.
From crafting and selling handmade bracelets in school to becoming an entrepreneur and athlete like she always wanted, Jonaie Johnson, an ironwoman and has become a fine basketball player. She is a boss lady who is always looking to face new challenges and put her goals into action. Johnson got the trait of leading naturally from her mother; it runs in her blood.
Johnson grew up in Chicago in a single-parent household. She was highly inspired by her mother, who worked in a company and achieved the highest mark early.
“I got the business-owner and business-woman mentality from my mom,” Johnson said in an interview. She has become an inspiration for all those who think to become a shining star. “I sold custom friendship bracelets to my friends and family,” She said. “I started selling snacks to many of the students who were hungry between class periods.”
An entrepreneurship program was launched by the University of Missouri-Kansas City that first drew the Chicago-native to Kansas City and offered her a full scholarship to play basketball. That’s where Johnson’s journey of becoming a role model started.
“UMKC’s Entrepreneurship Scholar Program (E-Scholars) is the reason where I am today; they provided me connections, resources, and access into the entrepreneurial ecosystem here within Kansas City,” she said.
Johnson maintains her basketball and academic career very well. Apart from her two careers, she also runs her own business. She created Interplay which helps people connect with their pets when they are away from home. There is a whole story behind this magnificent creation that Jonaie shared.
She said: “My aunt was leaving a family event to go home and feed her dog. I thought, wouldn’t it be great to do that remotely?”
She thought of creating Interplay when she was in high school. Johnson created an app that contains features to provide food and water to pets.
She played 16 games during her freshman season and started one game against Rio Grande Valley. Then as a sophomore Johnson became one of the most impactful and prominent players for the Roos. As a junior last season she led the team in assists with 3.6 assists per game.
Johnson faced great troubles in her life, but she didn’t give up and kept trying hard. She surely proves that hard work never goes in vain.
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