My Apporch
Strategic communicator, storyteller, and recording artist. What I do is diagnostic: I figure out what isn't functioning in an organization, then make the case for the fix.
That approach took shape at USC Annenberg, where I earned a Master of Communication Management (3.91 GPA), and was tested across four academic client consulting projects: Reach TV, Warby Parker, The Frugal Frigate, and HECHO. For each, I researched the client, identified the gap, and developed a strategy to close it.
The other half is execution. I have worked across digital marketing, content production, donor relations, and executive stakeholder communication in entertainment, technology, sports media, and nonprofit settings.
Four years writing profiles of music producers, celebrity entrepreneurs, and athletes for the University of Denver Clarion taught me how a story lands. Producing and releasing original music every year taught me to understand audiences from the inside, because I have had to reach them myself. As an independent artist distributed through Symphonic, I have built an audience of 1,000+ plays
Recognition
I am an honored recipient of the Mountain Mover Award and the President's Education Awards Program distinction.
A nominator shared, "Look up mountain mover in the dictionary, and there will be a picture of John. John overcomes physical challenges and learning challenges with equal determination and tenacity. He is a strong reminder of what hard work and utilizing resources can accomplish."
"Do or Do Not, there is no Try." That line fosters the way I believe in myself and climb every mountain to reach ambitious goals through hard work, imagination, and resilience.
President's Award for Educational Excellence
The nation's most prestigious awards for individual recognition, presented by the President and the U.S. Secretary of Education.
President Barack Obama and I believe that honoring student achievement and commitment is important. With specific goals and high aspirations, we can encourage our nation's young people to continue to achieve at higher levels. The President's Education Awards seek to honor students who meet rigorous standards of academic excellence and those who have overcome obstacles to their learning. It recognizes achievement and hard work in the classroom while encouraging students to reach even higher.
1) 3.5 GPA, certain levels on state tests, or a recommendation from a teacher, as well as a strong record of academic excellence.
2) Demonstrate unusual commitment to learning in academics despite various obstacles. Maintain a school record that would have met the school's selection criteria for the President's Award for Educational Excellence
3) Illness, personal crisis, or special needs prevented the student from maintaining such high standards despite hard work.
4) Achieve high scores or show outstanding growth, improvement, commitment, or intellectual development in particular subjects, such as English, math, science, etc. Demonstrate achievement in the arts, such as music or theater
Testimonies
