PHS Red Pride Band Most Outstanding Senior, Blake Johnson

Completing his senior year via E-Learning was not the way PHS Class of 2020 graduate Blake Johnson expected things to go, but the busy senior figured out how to make it work. 

While his normal school routine followed a fairly typical sleep pattern, E-Learning led him to discover that staying up late and sleeping in even later wasn’t all bad. And while the first few weeks of E-Learning were strange and the work didn’t take very long, he was quick to point out that the process and assignments did become more in-depth as the semester drew to a close.

Given his ultimate goal and career plan of building rockets and working at Space-X or NASA, it’s not surprising that Johnson will continue his education at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, with a major in computer engineering. Given the strength of the Rose-Hulman alumni network and career placement programs, he’s eager to get to work making his dreams come true. 

Johnson was awarded the PHS Red Pride Band’s Most Outstanding Senior Award and the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. He looks forward to continuing his band experience at Rose-Hulman, where he will continue playing the trombone and baritone. 

Johnson earned a Core 40 diploma with Academic and Technical Honors, was Magna Cum Laude and a member of the National Honor Society. 

His best memory of high school was when the marching band won the state championship his sophomore year. He reflected on the moments leading up to the announcement, with the ten finalists standing on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, and then having the field narrowed down until only the winner remained. “It was an incredible moment,” he explained.

To incoming freshmen, he offers this advice, “Allow yourself to enjoy your high school experience. Cherish every moment and try not to rush through everything.”

Hard work, fun and a great outlook on how to make it all work. That sounds like a pretty good formula for any graduate, and not a bad approach for the future of our space program, either!