Louisville equine school’s top grad's ‘going to make a difference’

Johnston is the recent recipient of the Robert G. Lawrence Award for Outstanding Senior in Equine Business. The Enfield, N.C. native joined the prestigious equine business program in 2016 and graduates this month with honors.  

“If you were to pick a student that is going to make a difference in this industry down the road, she would definitely come to your mind first,” said Terri Burch, coordinator of the Equine Industry Program, the only curriculum of its kind offering students a business degree while also preparing them for a variety of career paths related to horse racing and equine industry careers.

“Just from her personality, her big heart, and the fact that she’s level-headed, matter of fact and can see both sides,” Burch added, “you can tell she’s going to make a difference.”

Burch, who has worked at the University of Louisville for 32 years, nominated Johnston as the program’s outstanding graduate, describing her as “a very interesting woman and very admirable.”

Johnston, who carried a 3.98 GPA through her senior year, saw her career course change as a sophomore, when she signed up for a course on equine law “and absolutely loved it.”

That passion and a love for horses began early, as Johnston began riding American Saddlebreds back home when she was 5 years old. Then in 2017, she won a title with U of L’s Saddle Seat Equestrian Team.

“I’ve always loved being around horses — everything about them,” she said.

Next, she’ll pursue a law degree at North Carolina’s Campbell University.

“I definitely wanted to be involved with equine and sports law,” Johnston said, “because it’s a passion, it’s a love and it’s where I always knew I wanted to be.”

“She’s really dedicated to the horse industry, to the legal profession and, as somebody that wants to be an equine attorney, she could really be for the underdog, and take on cases and really help them out,” Burch added. “She just has the biggest heart of just about anybody you could meet and she’s really in tune.”

An intense, four-year track, the Equine Industry Program gives students the professional skills they need to succeed in the horse industry covering equine economics, marketing and law, among other topics. Small class sizes are emphasized along with individualized advising. For more information, visit business.louisville.edu/equine.