Shana Johnson

A self-proclaimed residential tourist, Shana Johnson basks in the diversity, history, and culture of New Orleans. This is exemplified in her personal activities of parading with the Sirens of New Orleans, cooking, and developing hip-hop cadences for the frottoir like “Make ‘Em Say Uhh.”

Shana’s professional aspirations brought her to Tulane Neurosurgery in 2015 where she served in a support capacity until 2021. She describes her current role as Budget and Administrative Coordinator in the Office of Intellectual Property Management as intriguing. “I’m amazed every day at the wonderful inventions that have come out of Tulane over the years. It’s humbling.”

Desiring to finish her college education which started in 1988, Shana enrolled into SOPA in Fall 2019. She is now a senior on track to complete her Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences with a Mathematics Minor – a SOPA first. In April, Shana was inducted into the Theta Chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda, a national honor society for undergraduate adults. In 2021, Shana earned the Global Seal of Biliteracy for Working Fluency in Spanish. As a Louisiana notary, 90% of her services are provided pro bono to Tulane faculty, residents, and students on the Downtown campus.

Meeting graduating Med School students after Match Day is her favorite time of the year. She says that helping them navigate their notary needs and other paperwork for their residency programs is gratifying, and the students show their appreciation with smiles and sometimes tears of joy. During 2020 COVID outbreak in New Orleans, some local notaries were overcharging for their services, while some were not providing services at all. Shana worked with the president of the Tulane Med School Class of 2020 for a safe solution: a small green folding table in the middle of her front yard. Amid the crisis, Shana provided notarization services to dozens of Tulane students, plus residents and fellows at LSU, dental school students, and a host of other local medical students and personnel.

Despite all her accolades and talents, her biggest fault is being an avid fan of the Dallas Cowboys. Thankfully, she has many redeeming qualities.