Kenya Johnson

Kenya Johnson’s college path started in 2016 when she enrolled at a private university where she realized in her first year that she and her family could not afford the tuition despite receiving some financial aid. To avoid being burdened with enormous student loan debt, the Newark native returned home and earned an associate’s degree at Essex County College while working part time. She then enrolled at Rutgers University–Newark in fall 2020 as a transfer student and has benefitted from financial aid, including a grant from Rutgers’ Scarlet Promise Initiative program.

After graduating in 2023, Johnson landed a job at Prudential in Newark as a Project Management Associate. This role is part of a leadership development program that will allow her to work in different areas of the company before settling into a permanent position. She learned about the opportunity as a fellow in the Braven Leadership and Career Accelerator program, which has a partnership with Rutgers–Newark and Prudential.