HERstory Soror Spotlight

Soror Jocelyn Johnson is a Senior Architectural Project Engineer at Shiel Sexton in Indianapolis. She traces her passion back to her grandfather's masonry business, which instilled in her a fascination with construction. Though she initially considered a path in law and politics, her introduction to architecture in high school and her education at Tuskegee University, revealed to her the power of the built environment to shape communities. This realization evolved her passion into advocacy, focusing on community development to influence what is built, how we build, and for whom. Her goal is preventing gentrification by prioritizing and investing in existing residents.

A major milestone in her journey was completing her Master's degree, which culminated in presenting her design thesis to city officials and developers—an experience that provided crucial feedback and inspired her to start her own business. Johnson has faced challenges, particularly navigating environments where she felt overlooked or uncertain in her role. She overcame this by intentionally shifting her mindset, taking initiative, and stepping into confidence, learning that personal and professional growth often occurs in uncomfortable spaces. She credits mentors like Dr. Bell, the Dean of the Architecture school at Tuskegee University, as significant supporters in her life.

Soror Johnson defines leadership as the ability to serve, influence, and create meaningful change through action and intention, emphasizing that service is more about responsibility than a title. For Soror Johnson this translates into advocacy within her focus on community development, where leadership means being intentional about inclusive decision-making. Looking ahead, her immediate goal is to obtain her Real Estate license and launch her business. She stays motivated by connecting to her "why" and embraces consistency over perfection in her self-care routine. She views "HerStory" as a testament to resilience and uniqueness, emphasizing the importance of sharing one's journey to help others who may feel defeated or struggle with comparison.

To follow Jocelyn's journey, you can find her on LinkedIN.