If you asked 17-year-old Maria Johnson what she would like to do in high school, she would tell you, “I just want to do what I have to do and get out.”
That’s why she decided to be home-schooled for her high school years. The only regret she has about her choice is that she misses out on sports.
Johnson, a native of Bakersfield, comes from a big family, the second of seven children. Her father, Richard, owns a painting business and works for the county, and her mother, Lucy, is a stay-at-home mom who home-schools three children. She says her mother is one of her three role models.
“I have three role models. My first one is my mom, because she sacrifices everything – a job and a social life – to stay at home.”
Her other role models include Joan of Arc and Colin Powell. Asked why Powell is on that list, Johnson said, “He’s the best secretary of state ever and that’s where I want to be.”
Besides trying to become the next female secretary of state, Johnson likes to sing. She is working on her second album. She sings with three of her sisters in a group called The Johnson Girls.
Their first album was made only for family and friends, but their next album, which they hope will come out by summer’s end, will be available for retail sale.
“We each sing different kinds of music. There’s a lot of variety,” she said.