Federal Way Public Schools Alumni of Note
Brad Johnson
Senior Leadership, Sears Holdings
Federal Way High School
Graduate, Class of 2001
Brad Johnson, a Senior Leadership Program participant at Sears Holdings, partially credits his participation in the Speech & Debate program at Federal Way High School with his success today.
“There's no doubt that my participation in Speech & Debate for three years was the most important experience in my high school career,” said Johnson, a 2001 Federal Way High School graduate. “I use the skills I developed in Speech & Debate almost on a daily basis in my current position.”
Johnson works in the Senior Leadership Program for recent MBA graduates at Sears Holdings just outside Chicago. Sears Holdings is the parent company of Sears and Kmart. “The program allows participants to tackle high-level business problems and work with all levels of the organization to identify and implement solutions to improve company performance,” Johnson said. “Significant projects to date have included everything from strategy development and implementation of an expanded in-store assortment of food and consumables in Kmart stores, to leading a turn-around program for a struggling category in the Sears Lawn & Garden business.”
In Federal Way, Johnson took Advanced Placement classes and participated in extracurricular activities. “A lot of learning in high school can take place outside of the classroom through sports, clubs and other extracurricular activities,” he said. He recalls speech and debate coach Lois Gorne as one of his most influential teachers. “Gorne went above and beyond by any measure of teacher performance,” Johnson said. “She put in long hours and cared deeply about her students and their success.”
After graduating from Federal Way, Johnson went on to earn Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and economics from Pepperdine University and a Masters of Business Administration from Yale. He plans to pursue a leadership position with Sears Holdings in the Internet retail department.
Johnson offers the following advice to current Federal Way students: “Don't be afraid to put yourself in stretch roles like tough classes or uncomfortable extracurricular activities. If you've identified someone that has developed a career path or educational path that you aspire to, find an excuse to contact them and ask them how they got there. Nine times out of 10, they will be honored that you reached out and happy to talk with you. Take responsibility for your future. Ask trusted teachers and mentors for help, but make sure you do your own research on colleges, available scholarships and career options. Be your own best advocate.”