Christopher “C.J.”  Johnson was born and raised in San Diego, California, but has called San Francisco home since he fell in love with the city during an AVID trip in high school. He went on to attend the University of San Francisco (USF), where he received his B.A. in Media Studies and graduated with honors in 2011.

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Chris got his start tutoring as a freshman in college working in the University Ministry department at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. In the span of three months, he went from Academic Tutor to Student Coordinator, and discovered his love for helping high school students improve their social skills, study habits, and school performance. He would then branch out to neighboring school sites as well, serving as an Academic Tutor at St. Charles Borromeo School and St. Anthonys Immaculate Conception School, while working with Kindergarten-8th grade students. After graduating USF, Chris decided to focus on his passion for media and film by serving as a Media Specialist for LaMay Day, LLC. He also decided to hone his leadership skills and has over four years of retail management experience on his resume. However, those jobs did not fulfill him, and he decided to go back to school to receive his M.Ed and get back in the classroom in 2017! ‍

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While completing his M.Ed in Career and Technical Education (CTE) from Concordia University—Portland, Chris served as a Research Center Associate for Audeo Charter School in San Diego, California for nearly two years. Working with high school kids once again, Chris realized his passion for serving as a mentor for these students and decided to relocate back to San Francisco to pursue this passion full-time. Coming from a household that values education, Chris believes students need role-models and mentors in their life in order to unlock their full potential. As an Academic Mentor with ESM, Chris looks to embrace students’ strengths, identify their weaknesses, and discuss their interests outside of the classroom in order to unlock the learning style that suits them best. Chris operates on the belief that the earlier students start to look at the big picture and devise a plan to succeed, the more likely they are to reach their goals and turn their dreams into a reality.

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C.J. has been a part of numerous departments during his time at ESM Prep, working as a Test Prep Mentor, Essay Coach, and Private Educator. He is currently one of our longest tenured Private Educators for both high school and college students, helping them improve their executive functioning skills and gain the confidence they need to succeed inside and outside the classroom. C.J. has also worked as a Recruiter for the company for the past 6 years, helping our amazing Talent Team find the next generation of tutors to lead ESM Prep and Guidewell Education into the future.

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Outside of tutoring, Chris is a sports guru who enjoys going to the gym, playing basketball, going to movies, and exploring the beautiful outdoors. He specializes in essay editing/creative writing, teaching the SAT and ACT, and tutoring English and math.