Kelsey Johnson was born and raised in Atlanta. While exploring colleges, she was drawn to Georgia Tech’s Computational Media program. But just as she was beginning her major courses during her second year, she unexpectedly had to take two years away from school for medical reasons that resulted in the loss of her leg. 

When Johnson was 8, she was diagnosed with Linear Scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease that causes an overproduction of collagen. Symptoms include tightening of the skin and joint deformities, which over the course of her life caused a great deal of pain. Despite several treatments, the condition worsened over the course of nine years. 

The summer following her freshman year at Tech, she went into remission and was able to have reconstructive ankle surgery to alleviate painful bone contractures. However, the surgery didn’t go as planned. The pain actually grew worse, and Kelsey could no longer walk. She made the difficult decision to medically withdraw in the middle of her second year. 

During her first year away from Georgia Tech, Kelsey underwent several surgeries and an intense course of physical therapy. Unfortunately, she had to make another tough decision at the end of 2016: the amputation of her right leg. 

Confronting her new identity as an amputee, Kelsey set her mind on one goal: no matter what, she would return to Georgia Tech to finish what she had begun. After 18 months in a wheelchair, she was told that her rehabilitation process and full adjustment to a prosthetic leg would take at least six months to a year.

“I envisioned the day I would be able to return to campus and eventually walk across the stage on graduation day,” Kelsey remembers.

In June 2017, she stood on two feet and took her first steps on the new prosthetic leg. She was determined to be strong enough to return to classes that August and spent the summer working with her team of physical therapists and her prosthetist. This process helped her gain confidence and completely transformed her perception of her identity when she returned for that Fall semester. 

Kelsey had made a massive physical and mental adjustment, and she had learned to advocate for herself.

“Over time I gained clarity that I couldn’t allow my journey thus far and what I’d lost to redefine my core identity,” she explained. “Instead, I grew in awareness that my story is empowering, and it’s been a constant reminder of perseverance.”

Returning to school, she vowed to treasure every moment and opportunity. She’s thankful for the amazing hands-on experiences and leadership opportunities she gained through the Computational Media program and the ways the program taught her to apply herself in fields that merge design and computer science.

“Being able to come back and essentially restart my life while pursuing a multifaceted degree made my Georgia Tech experience even more special to me,” Kelsey says.

Soon, Kelsey will achieve her dream of moving to New York City, where she will start as a software engineer for American Express later this year. 

“Four years ago, when I was immobile and recovering, I never would’ve imagined being able to walk 15,000+ steps a day in my dream city, let alone having the opportunity to live there,” she added.