Cronkite graduation speaker combines passions for creative writing, sports
Cronkite Convocation student speaker Grace Johnson at the Cronkite News desk. Courtesy photo
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable spring 2026 graduates.
“I want to do that!”
That's what Grace Johnson told her mom during her high school tour of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, and she’s never looked back.
“The tour guide told us that they were sending students to the 2024 Paris Olympics,” she said. “My eyes immediately lit up and locked with my mom. I knew I wasn’t going to get these kind of experiences in the real world anywhere else.”
Johnson knew she wanted to be a journalist, loved creative writing and sports, but didn’t know how to combine the two until she arrived in Phoenix from California.
“I worked on my (high school) student newspaper, and no one wanted to cover sports. My dad and I watched sports together and when I decided to combine the two passions, I knew it was something I wanted to pursue long term.”
Johnson said she knew she wanted to go to college out of state, but she still wanted to be close to home.
“It felt like the perfect distance while still getting that college feel,” she said. “I have built a new home here in Arizona, and it helped me mature and learn to live on my own.”
Cronkite and Phoenix also offer job advantages for graduates. ASU ranks No. 2 among U.S. public universities for employability, ahead of UCLA.
“I think that is a huge advantage for when I go into the workforce and follow the jobs all over the country,” Johnson said. “I have learned to be self-sustainable, even though I’m still in the middle of the interview process.”
During her time at Cronkite, Johnson has covered all types of sporting events, from the Waste Management Phoenix Open to this year’s NCAA Women’s Final Four and ASU Women's Softball — and yes, the Paris Olympics. She also spent four years at Arizona PBS.
Now, as one of Cronkite's Outstanding Undergraduate Students and the school's convocation student speaker, Johnson is continuing to find her voice in the ever-changing world of journalism.
Below, she shares more about her journey studying at ASU and what she has to say about the future of journalism.
Question: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?
Answer: My favorite spot on campus was Mountain America Stadium. I made so many memories there with my friends over the past four years. Whether I was down on the field covering the games or rushing it as a fan, I will deeply cherish those memories.
Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?
A: I learned to not be afraid to jump out of my comfort zone — send emails, network and ask questions. I think I was so scared to do that when I first came to ASU as a freshman. Now I have gained so much confidence in myself and my journalism skills.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: Always lend a helping hand to others. This can be a very competitive industry, but always being kind to everyone will take you so far in life. And when you're in school, your peers and professors are there to help you grow and become a better journalist, so take advantage of that because you may not have that kind of support when you leave school.
Q: What inspires you most about the future of journalism?
A: What inspires me most about the future of journalism is that it seems like it will never go away and people depend on it. Yes, it may look different than it did 20 years ago, but it's adapting as society does, and that's exciting that we get to play a role in that.
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