Class of 2027 Member Zane Johnson
Every year, there is a very special event in the Johnson household in Southwest Virginia. It’s called “Zane’s Day.” Johnson, his parents, great aunt and grandmother gather each Aug. 15 to celebrate the day Juan Antonio Garcia Batz of San Antonio Suchitepéquez, Guatemala, became Zane Johnson.
Johnson’s parents, Wilburn and Lisa, adopted Zane from a foster family in Guatemala City when he was 7 months old and raised him in their Lebanon home. When reading his resume, there is no doubt the younger Johnson has thrived since moving to Virginia. He was the valedictorian of his graduating class at Honaker High School. He was class president all four years. His academic awards are almost too many to count. As a senior, he won academic awards in anatomy, calculus, honors government, marketing and Spanish IV.
Johnson talks with the Southern lilt common to Southwest Virginia, and his humble nature comes through the moment you start speaking with him.
“I know that I’m very fortunate to live in the United States of America and to have the educational opportunity to attend the University of Virginia,” he said. “That makes me inspired to do my best, because I know that this opportunity has been given to me by God and my parents.”
During the pandemic, Johnson began to focus on healthy eating. His soccer season had been canceled, so he increased his workouts to be in shape for the coming season. With not much else to do, those two things became something of an obsession, and Johnson developed an eating disorder he has since overcome.
In his application to become a kinesiology major, he wrote about how his experience inspired him to pursue becoming a dietitian. “I have recovered and gained a new perspective on food, one which I would like to share with others,” he wrote. “I want to educate people on the importance of good nutrition, how it can enhance their quality of life, and how to enjoy food and fuel themselves properly.”
Outside of academics, Johnson is thinking about joining intramural teams in soccer, tennis and volleyball. He and his family celebrated Zane’s Day this month as they have since 2005, just days before his move to UVA. Johnson said his family is very tight-knit and saying goodbye was hard.
Fall break will be here before you know it.