As the Licensure Boards Coach for Logan University in Chesterfield, Missouri, Tatiana Johnson created and launched a first-of-its-kind student success ecosystem to improve board exam performance. As a result, the school achieved a 40 percent increase in first-time pass rates for students. But this success wasn’t enough for Johnson; she wanted to gain more knowledge and skills to make an even greater impact.
That’s when she decided to return to school for her master’s degree. Before choosing Cleary University, she researched many colleges in the tuition exchange program and found Cleary best matched her career aspirations.
Shortly after she began her studies, Johnson was invited to join Cleary’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), the nation’s largest leadership honor society with 877 chapters and more than two million members. Only high-achieving students are invited to join this prestigious organization.
In her usual style, Johnson researched the organization to determine if it was worthwhile for her and her well-defined career path. “I read the success stories of other members, watched the videos of prominent leaders who were inducted, evaluated the NSLS benefits, and decided this was the right direction for me,” she reports.
“There are people with huge lives who were inducted,” she notes. Barack Obama, Brene Brown (researcher, storyteller, and author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers), Ketanji Brown Jackson (US Supreme Court Justice), Bozoma Saint John (Influencer and American businesswoman), Dr. Bernice King (CEO of King Center and peace advocate), Bill Gates, Mark Cuban, and dozens more influential people were inducted into the NSLS.
“My mother always told me I was an intelligent young lady. Her words resonated with me when I decided to go back to school for my master’s and take the NSLS journey, too,” she notes.
Johnson accepted the nomination and began the five steps of work required for induction in the society. Through NSLS, she received valuable tools to drive her future forward, establish herself even more as an industry leader, build more real-world skills to excel in her career, and keep the fast pace needed to thrive in an ever-changing workplace.
Johnson was inducted into the NSLS in March.
Earning her master’s degree in Culture, Change, and Leadership at Cleary complements what she learned through the NSLS program. Her ultimate goal: “create lasting, positive change in the world,” she asserts. At the time, she had no idea just how much the degree from Cleary and the NSLS would help her in the future.
After she was laid off from the university, she took time to figure out what her next move was going to be. “I did a lot of soul searching regarding my career path; where do I want to go, what am I capable of accomplishing, and how will I get there,” she says. “The training from NSLS aided me in making my plan.”
A few months ago, Johnson accepted a pioneer position with Bayer Crop Science. She leads content creation and delivers strategic training programs for large groups of field sales users. She not only works with technical teams and business leaders but also stakeholders to bring them the tools and resources they were missing.
Her career has centered on pioneering new roles, functions, and ecosystems that solve complex puzzles across industries—from higher education and healthcare to beauty and wellness.
Johnson recently finished her master’s degree from Cleary. She completed all of her classes online. “This is the first time I have taken online classes,” she notes. “I admit I was concerned about losing the personal connection of a classroom setting, but it didn’t happen. The faculty made me feel important; they were supportive, and they made me feel like I was family. I never felt alone or isolated.
“I am thankful for Cleary and the opportunity to be part of its NSLS chapter. I am growing much more in my professional life and taking on new roles I had not previously considered.”
Her footprint is just beginning to impact people’s lives, thanks to the additional skills she has obtained through her NSLS work and the Cleary University master’s curriculum.
About NSLS
The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is the largest leadership honor society in the United States. Cleary University started its chapter five years ago and now boasts 589 members, including 90 alumni. Cleary is one of only 16 four-year colleges in Michigan to offer an NSLS chapter. Students who demonstrate leadership skills and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher are nominated by Cleary to join the NSLS.
Students who would like to pursue membership must complete the five steps required for full induction into NSLS:
- orientation (meet members and take a personality assessment to help build your leadership foundation)
- leadership training day (immersive workshop via video; you will identify your goals and create a plan to achieve them)
- live-streamed speaker broadcasts (learn from nationally and internationally recognized business leaders, celebrities, activists and more)
- success networking team meetings (meet bi-weekly to share insights and gain perspectives to help fast-track your success)
- induction (receive a certificate of leadership and membership; in-person or online ceremony)
Dr. Regina Banks-Hall, dean of Graduate Studies and adult education programs and professor of business, serves as Cleary’s NSLS advisor.
NSLS inductees are lifetime members of the society and are eligible to take advantage of the many benefits that come as an NSLS member. These include:
- Access to more than $400,000 in scholarships and awards
- A job board exclusive to NSLS members
- Personal success coaching
- Job placement assistance
- Leadership training programs
- Access to private networking events
- Motivational Mondays (weekly email inspirational message)
- Discounts and perks from more than 1,000 companies (travel, home and car insurance, electronics, campus books, concert tickets, movie tickets and much more)
For more information on the NSLS, visit www.cleary.edu/student-life/student-groups/#NSLS.
