In my role as Director of Alumni Relations, I have the opportunity to encounter Darlington alumni daily and find that our alumni have some pretty interesting careers, hobbies and interests. In this blog series, Darlington Connects, we will highlight alumni whose careers and interests are fun and fascinating. This week I had the chance to catch up with Abraham Johnson (’15) and hear a little about being a playwright.
“Writing plays has been my passion and I have focused on my craft throughout my time at UGA and after graduation,” said playwright Abraham Johnson ('15). “I wrote and produced eight plays at the University of Georgia and one professional production of my play 'What the Woolf Wore' at the Sycronicity Theatre in Atlanta. My play was very well received and I really enjoy the Atlanta arts scene.”
After spending the winter in Connecticut with the Eugine O’Neill Theater Center, Abraham recently moved to Atlanta and is continuing to write plays and stories. He has taken a position as a middle school assistant teacher in sixth and seventh grade language arts at the Howard School in Sandy Springs.
“Teaching has been a part of my plan all along,” he said.
Abraham said that on Career Day at Darlington he filled three sessions with fine arts choices since he knew that’s what he wanted to study in college, but he had one slot left on his schedule so he chose Mike Hudson’s session on education. He said, “Mr. Hudson was so passionate about teaching and made it sound so fun and rewarding. He completely opened my eyes to teaching as a possible profession.”
Because of Career Day, Abraham spent several summers during college as a counselor at Duke TIP, a program for gifted middle schoolers, and fell in love with students in this age group. He knew he would want to teach some day.
A Roman, Abraham was a DAR Baby and he and his three siblings, Hiram (‘12), O’Keefe (‘13) and Mamie (‘17), all graduated from Darlington and went on to study at the University of Georgia.
“I am obsessed with Darlington!" he said. "First of all, Darlington gave me a genuine love for literature and secondly, the Llbrary was my ‘happy place.' I loved spending time there. The English and theater departments let me be creative and experiment and push myself. For that, I am forever grateful.”
Are you a Darlington alum (or do you know one) with a career or interest that is fascinating and unique? We'd love to spotlight you in a future blog! Please email alumni@darlingtonschool.org if you are interested in being featured.
