Scholar Snapshot featuring Coda Johns

Coda Johns, winner of a 2024 National Merit The University of Alabama Scholarship, is pursuing a degree in secondary education in mathematics. "I have always felt myself drawn to both math and helping others," Coda shares. "I chose this field of study because this major will allow me to have a position which does just that! I'll be able to teach others the wonders of math, help shape them into amazing adults, and help many understand what may be their most difficult subject." Coda is excited by the high demand for math teachers, which even includes opportunities for world travel through the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). "By choosing this field, I will be able to join the ranks that make up DoDEA and travel all around the world to teach, which I am very excited to do."

"It is so amazing and important to me that I won this award," shares Coda. "I can become a teacher without worrying about going into a great amount of debt. . . . It means that I get to have an incredible education. I am so proud to be able to call myself a National Merit Scholar and join this amazing community full of amazing people with amazing achievements. The National Merit Scholarship Program is what allows many, like me, to actually go to college and chase their dreams."