Jamaican Man Who Sold Onions, Becomes The Youngest Professor At A US College

Daren Johnson, 28, has followed a unique path to his current position of being the youngest full-time professor at Howard Community College in Colombia, Maryland.

At the start of his journey, Johnson was an onion and sweets seller working to earn lunch money and to keep himself in school in the relatively unknown district of Bun Hill.

He realized at an early age that education was the way to breaking the cycle of poverty that affected his family. His experiences as a poor child fostered resilience, and he did not allow such problems to keep him from his goals.

Johnson singles out Miss Sandra Nam of Nam’s Hardware for his special thanks, as she saw his potential and took the time to teach him the skills of a sales clerk, which allowed him to stop selling onions and pursue other opportunities.

Johnson also cited the help given to him by a food and nutrition teacher at Aabuthnott Gallimore High School, Elaine Brown-Taylor, who guided him during his high school years; to this day refers to her as his “second mother.”

Johnson’s academic talents brought him from Bottom Pond Basic School, which he attended at age three, to Howard Community College and studying to finish a PhD in human resources at the American College of Education.

He attended Muirhouse Primary, Aabuthnott Gallimore High School, Moneague College, and the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Jamaica, as well as Athabasca University in Canada, and Monroe College, Pace University, and the University of South Florida in the US.

His certifications and degrees include a Master of Science in human resource management from Pace University; a BA in business administration from Monroe College; an education diploma from Moneague College, among others.

Source: Jamaicans.com

Email: elora.akpotosevbe@yahoo.com