Jason Johnson lives in the Nashville area these days, but his presence is still known and felt across Lapeer Community Schools.
As the founder and CEO of Project K-9 Hero, Johnson has created a yearly scholarship for Lapeer County seniors in his late sister Jodi's honor, with a preference to LCS students, and for the 2025-26 school year, donated a police K-9, Jodi Storm, named after Jason's sister with a nod to the Lapeer Lightning district nickname.
Needless to say, Johnson stays involved from more than 600 miles away.
"Lapeer Community Schools didn’t simply educate me, it helped give me the identity of someone who believes that where you come from matters, which I learned growing up in the Hadley and Metamora area," Johnson said. "That service matters, such as my tenure in the United States Army, civilian law enforcement, as an explosive detection K-9 handler in Iraq and Afghanistan, the federal government, and eventually as the founder of Project K-9 Hero. When you do make your pipe dreams a reality, you have an obligation to reach back and help the people and community that helped shape you, as I have done through our scholarship program to LCS and the donation of K-9 Jodi to protect the students and families of my hometown.
"E.E. Cummings famously wrote, 'It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.' No one expects you to be that person while in high school, it may take years or even decades to not only figure that out, but to reach your Kismet."
A 1993 Lapeer West graduate, Johnson also attended Murphy and Zemmer and said what he remembers most about his school years are his friends, teacher Bill Anderson's "kind spirit," and his time playing golf and baseball for the Panthers.
Now making a name for himself on a national scale, Johnson said his advice to current students is to "don’t let anybody tell you that where you come from determines how far you can go."
"I grew up on a dirt trail off Baldwin Road, that three families lived on, and when I left high school, I didn’t have everything figured out," Johnson said. "I simply had a dream. I wanted to serve my country like my grandfathers did in World War II and the Korean War, so I joined the Army at 17, and then right after graduation, I left for basic training, then for Germany.
"That one decision changed my entire life."
Over the years, not only did Johnson serve in the military, but also in civilian law enforcement as a K-9 and a SWAT officer, high-threat protection global K-9 operations, and the federal government. He eventually built a career around something he became incredibly passionate about - protecting and caring for the police K-9s and military working dogs that protect all of us.
Eventually, Johnson founded Project K-9 Hero - one of the largest nonprofits in the world for retired working dogs.
"But here’s what I want you to understand," said Johnson said. "You don’t have to know exactly where your life is going when you graduate. You just need to be willing to work hard, take chances, learn from your failures, and keep moving forward. Dream bigger than what you think is possible. When I was your age, I couldn’t have imagined everything my life would eventually become. But I learned something along the way - if you are willing to work for your dreams, doors will open that you never knew existed.
"Don’t measure yourself against somebody else’s success. Measure yourself against who you were yesterday. Get your education. Learn a trade. Go to college. Join the military. Start a business. Become a police officer, firefighter, teacher, doctor, engineer, welder, lineman, mechanic, artist - or whatever you are passionate about."
Johnson went on to explain that there isn’t one definition of success.
"Whatever path you choose, be somebody your family can be proud of, and don’t forget where you came from," Johnson said. "Lapeer gave me my start. This community helped shape who I became. That’s why being inducted into the Lapeer Community Schools Distinguished Alumni Hall of Honor meant so much to me, and why being able to give back to the school district now means even more.
"Today, Project K-9 Hero has the privilege of helping protect the same community where Jodi and I grew up. We were able to donate K-9 Jodi to Lapeer Community Schools, named in honor of my sister, and we continue to provide scholarships to Lapeer graduates in her memory."
Johnson added that it's important to remember that success isn’t just about what you accomplish, it’s about what you do with what you accomplish.
"Someday, I hope many of you will leave Lapeer, build incredible careers, travel the world and accomplish things you never imagined, but I hope you come back," Johnson said. "Come back and mentor a student. Come back and hire someone from Lapeer. Come back and support your school. Come back and make your hometown better. The greatest thing you can do after becoming successful is reach back and help the next person get there.
"Never be afraid to dream. I was once a kid from Hadley who wanted to serve his country. I followed that dream, and that dream eventually took me places I never imagined. So dream big. Work hard. Serve others. Never quit. And always remember where you came from because you never know how far a kid from the 48455 can go.
"I know - I was one."
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