“The story I'd love to tell is this isn't a celebrate Adam moment. Instead, this is a look at what a great community can do to help a person succeed,” said Adam Johnson, 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholar.
In May 2026, Stanford University announced its 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars. Adam Johnson, a Brigham Young University Honors Program alumnus and 2023 Truman Scholar, is one of 87 scholars. Established in 2016, Knight-Hennessy has quickly become one of the most competitive graduate fellowships, with an acceptance rate of about one percent. Through this scholarship, Johnson will receive up to three years of financial support and engage in many leadership opportunities. Johnson has always been driven, but he credits his accomplishments to the people who helped him along his journey.
Growing up in Woodland Hills, Utah, Johnson’s family was at the center of his life. As the middle child, Johnson learned from his parents and two brothers the importance of kindness, inclusion, and service.
“Adam has been a peacemaker as long as I have ever had this child at my foot,” said Jerry Johnson, Adam’s father and a biology professor in the BYU College of Life Sciences. “He's very tuned into others and how they feel and is really aware of the needs of people that are around him.”
Long before Johnson attended BYU, many others were already shaping his life and character. Friends, teachers, church leaders, and scout leaders taught lessons that would stay with him for years. Looking back, Johnson sees those influences as part of a larger pattern of people investing in him before any recognition came his way. That support continued at BYU.
During Johnson’s first week as a student, Kirk Hawkins, a professor in the Political Science Department, took a chance on him, hiring Johnson as a research assistant despite having no prior experience. Within the Honors Program, Spencer Magleby, Vika Filimoeatu, and Julie Radle created a community where Johnson said he felt, "welcomed, valued, and seen."
Adam Brown and Brigham Daniels, professors on his Honors thesis committee, volunteered hours of one-on-one mentorship, giving Johnson the confidence to pursue opportunities. Amy McLaughlin and Audrey Hanks from the National Scholarships and Prestigious Fellowships office spent countless hours assisting Johnson with his scholarship applications.
"People at BYU really invest deeply in students,” Johnson said. “I don't think there's anywhere else in the world where people care so deeply about your success and believe in you.”
Johnson's journey has many chapters that led him to become a 2023 Truman Scholar. Experiences such as serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Singapore and Malaysia, where he witnessed extreme poverty firsthand, helped shape Johnson’s commitment to solving social challenges.
That commitment deepened as he founded The Small Hill Foundation to increase access to education in Southeast Asia and co-founded Conserve Utah Valley alongside mentor Craig Christensen. That foundation has not changed. What has grown is the circle of people Johnson credits with carrying him forward into being a Knight-Hennessy Scholar.
“Adam embodies BYU’s aim of lifelong leadership and service,” said Julie Radle, Honors Program assistant director. “From the moment I met Adam as an undergraduate, his focus has always been outward. He is always looking for ways to improve the lives of those around him and serve his community, whether here on campus or on a broader, global scale.”
After graduating from BYU in 2023 with a bachelor’s in political science and a minor in international strategy and diplomacy, Johnson joined Cicero Group, a management consulting firm. There, colleagues and mentors gave Johnson opportunities where he worked on large-scale social programs, international development, and homelessness initiatives in Utah. These opportunities gave Johnson hands-on practice in solving complex challenges in society. These experiences guided Johnson’s decision to attend Stanford pursing a dual degree in a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Public Policy.
Johnson was first introduced to the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship through Amy McLaughlin, National Scholarships and Prestigious Fellowships coordinator, during his undergraduate years. The application process was an opportunity for Johnson to evaluate what he wanted to become and who helped pave that path for him.
“You get to really think about, ‘What's important to me? Where do I want to allocate my scarce time and resources? What do I want to accomplish?’ Which is a refreshing experience,” Johnson said. “I also had a lot of great people in my corner during this application process. Amy is so good at asking questions and helping people really get to the root of who they are as people. And of course, my immediate network, my wife, my mom, and my dad.”
The Knight-Hennessy inspired Johnson to continue finding ways where he can help people and improve society. He wants to focus on assisting nonprofits and government programs becoming more effective. Johnson hopes to start a consulting firm where he can create meaningful change in communities.
For students interested in pursuing the Knight-Hennessy, Johnson encourages them to not focus on trying to fit the right narrative and instead pursue your passions.
“Find what you love and you're passionate about and pour your heart and soul into it,” Johnson said. “I didn't do things that people would say, ‘this is what they're looking for’, but instead I really cared about what I did. The Knight Hennessy, similar to the Truman, is looking for your dedication to your passion. You'll be way more successful if you find what you care about and pursue it.”
Johnson often returns to Deuteronomy 6:11, “We drink from wells that we did not dig.” As he prepares for his upcoming journey in the fall, Johnson continues to be thankful for his community that helped him succeed.
“If there's anything about Adam that stirs him, it's when we fail to recognize the time, energy, and talents of all the everyday people that are trying to lift and help others,” Jerry Johnson said. “Adam will be the first to point out he is where he is because of everyone around him.”