April 1999

Kevin Johnson attended Stewart School from fourth to sixth grade. Looking back, he says his favorite subjects were English and History. Kevin’s Dad owned a Service Station and organized the first Stewart Basketball Team.

After Stewart, Kevin went to Northside Junior High and he says he was ready for it, unlike other Jr. High students. After Northside, he went to Columbus North High School and was a starter on the varsity Basketball Team for three years.

After graduating from North, he went to Creighton University and was also a basketball player and majored in education. When he played basketball at Creighton, he played against Anthony Peeler and Doug Smith, who are now pro basketball players. Then he went to a Junior College in Danville, Illinois, and won a national championship.

He then transferred to Indiana Sate University (ISU), which is where Larry Bird played. Other sports Kevin was interested in were tennis and soccer, and he played Columbus Express Soccer. Kevin said that sports like basketball build self-confidence and reinforce the advantages of competition.

He added that the first Stewart basketball team was kind of like the “Bad News Bears” since they had a team of all ages and had to run across the field to the Armory to practice. (The school was then located at Bakalar Air Base.) But they came together and formed a real team. Stewart came in second in the conference that year. Kevin has worked for Breeden Realty.

He now works for Bank One in Indianapolis and is a Self Mortgage Specialist, which means he works with people, legal documents, and sales. He says that he still uses things he learned at Stewart, such as note cards he learned to make. He added that Stewart School was one of the best memories from his past. He especially remembered his relationships with his teachers including Mrs. Pearl and Mrs. Mumley.

He said that at Stewart the teachers are patient and give the students a lot of personal attention which does not happen later as the classes are too large. He added that the teachers have the best interest of the students at heart. His advice for students today is to listen to your teachers, take their advice and try to do your best. He also added that students should set goals and to try to attain them every day.