Finding Her Calling: Child and Family Studies Senior Zoee Johnson
For Baylor University senior Zoee Johnson, studying human development isn’t just about the academics, but rather, it’s a meaningful foundation for her future career.
Originally from Glen Rose, Texas, Johnson came to Baylor to study engineering. However, early in her college career, she realized that working as a prosthetics engineer would not allow her to interact directly with patients—something she truly valued. Seeking guidance, she reached out to Baylor’s Career Center, where she had the opportunity to complete a career assessment and explore a variety of fields. After shadowing professionals, Johnson found that occupational therapy perfectly matched both her personality and aspirations. She then adjusted her major to Child and Family Studies with a concentration in Pre-Occupational Therapy.
“As an occupational therapist, you can really use your creative side and build a strong rapport with your clients,” she said. “I discovered that the thing I love most about occupational therapy is that it meets people where they’re at.”
Johnson’s professors have played an important role in her academic journey by fostering a strong sense of community and connection within the program. She expressed that the smaller class sizes of the Child and Family Studies program have made it easier to build meaningful relationships, both with the faculty and her peers.
“I love the small class sizes that we have,” she said. “You really get to know your professors, the people in your cohort, and just build that great community.”
Outside of the classroom, Johnson has taken many opportunities to lead, serve, and develop during her time at Baylor. In April 2025, she was recognized at the Department of Human Sciences and Design (HSD) awards ceremony by being chosen to serve as a HSD Ambassador—an honor that reflects her strong passion for helping others and her commitment to her field.
However, her most transformative experience since coming to Baylor has been working as an undergraduate research assistant for Nick Frye, PhD, Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies. The study she has been involved with, which is tied to Frye’s Research Methods course, has given Johnson and a research partner an opportunity to manage the data collection process and analyze the results.
“For the past year, I’ve been helping to conduct a daily survey with married couples. It’s an eight-day study where participants answer questions about their relationships,” she explained. “It’s definitely been a learning curve because I had never done research before this. Most people think of research as something clinical, like trying to cure cancer—but we’re doing social research, and it’s so fascinating to see how couples' everyday experiences can be studied and measured.”
Her mentorship with Frye began in Fall 2023, when she took two of his classes: Research Methods and Theories of Family Development. Johnson recalls that by the end of the semester, Frye reached out personally to her and her future research partner to express how impressed he was with their academic work and invite them to work on his research. This opportunity has grown into a meaningful mentorship.
“I remember he was really amazed by the work we produced in class—and it meant a lot that he saw that in me,” she shared. “Dr. Frye has been so impactful in my time at Baylor. I’ve gotten to know him on a personal level, and the wisdom and guidance he offers has meant the world to me. He’s writing a letter of recommendation for me, and I really see him as someone I can turn to for advice.”
As Johnson prepares for graduation in December 2025, she received early academic excellence and leadership awards. She was honored at Baylor’s Academic Honors Convocation, which recognizes outstanding students from across the University—she was just one of 18 students representing Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. In addition, the Child and Family Studies program named her and a peer as its Most Outstanding Students award recipients.
“Being recognized as an outstanding student is such an honor. More than anything, it reminds me that the work I’m doing is seen and valued, especially in a program that has shaped me so much,” she said.
Johnson was accepted into Baylor’s Entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program for Spring 2026. She is encouraged by the hope of becoming a practitioner—one who not only treats but truly understands the families and individuals she’ll work with.
ABOUT ROBBINS COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Established in 2014, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences seeks to enhance health, quality of life, and human flourishing for all individuals and communities through education, research, and innovation. It includes six academic departments—Communication Sciences and Disorders; Health, Human Performance, and Recreation; Human Sciences and Design; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; and Public Health—along with the Division of Health Professions, which houses the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. Robbins College offers 13 bachelor’s degrees, eight master’s degrees, and six doctoral degrees, as well as nine graduate programs in partnership with the U.S. Army. Graduate programs in Robbins College are offered in a variety of modalities, including on campus, online, and hybrid.