As part of our Engage IRL initiative with Launch NW, five SPS staff members will support connecting students with activities. These Engagement Navigators are assigned to schools based on the five high school feeder patterns of our district, which allows families to build a sense of belonging and community as students advance from kindergarten through senior year.
We’re introducing a Navigator every day this week. Watch this space!
Austin Johnson, Rogers Feeder Pattern Engagement Navigator
SCHOOLS: Rogers, Garry, Shaw, Arlington, Bemiss, Cooper, Lidgerwood, Longfellow, Regal, Whitman, On Track Academy, NEWTech Prep
Where were you before you came into your current role?
I was adopted to Spokane in the 4th grade and attended three Spokane Public Schools – Audubon, Glover and North Central – before enrolling at Gonzaga University for my undergraduate experience. At Gonzaga, I was a student leader and volunteer for numerous programs, including Campus Kids and the Walking School Bus at Logan Elementary.
After graduation, I served as an AmeriCorps member in the Center for Community Engagement at Gonzaga and coordinated after-school programs at Shaw Middle School and Rogers High School. I then attended Eastern Washington University and received my master’s in social work. I began working for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families and began working for DCYF as a Child and Family Welfare Services social worker.
After my time at the Department, I had a desire to support students and families in a more proactive and less reactive way and moved to Spokane Public Schools Activities and Athletics department, where I have been since September 2023.
Why were you interested in being an Engagement Navigator for Spokane Public Schools?
What drew me to this role was that it would be hosted in the communities and schools that they are serving instead of at the district office or another location. The chance to get to walk into a school every day and build relationships with staff and students is what drew me to this position, as I’ve always valued and appreciated the time I spent working in schools.
What were your extracurricular passions when you were a student, and how did those experiences shape who you are today?
I truly believe that extracurriculars and education saved my life. I grew up in foster care; I never met my dad, and my mom dropped out of school in the 4th grade. I was an incredibly angry kid who was on the same path that my family had walked for generations, as I was not connected or engaged in school in the slightest.
It wasn’t until I was adopted to Spokane when I was in 4th grade – my mom’s last grade in school – and I met teachers and coaches who wrapped their arms around me and pushed me to do hard things that I came to appreciate school and see what opportunities it truly could provide for me.
Since I didn’t really attend school growing up, school was not a passion of mine but soccer and playing sports were. It was the idea that I could come to school, see my friends, play soccer and get away from the things I was working through in my home life that kept me coming to school. School was my escape and playing soccer was my ultimate escape and, in some ways, it still is to this day.
What are you most excited about for the 2024-25 school year?
After having lots of opportunities to engage with families at Shaw and Rogers, I am most excited about getting out and getting to know the families and communities at the rest of the schools in the North East region.
This year, we’re asking every SPS student to complete their IRL Plan to share what activities excite them. Our goal is for every kid to participate in an activity outside of school every day. Learn more at Engage IRL.