Johnson holds a Bachelor in English from the University of South Florida and is a 1998 graduate of the School of Communication & the Arts of Regent University in Virginia. She also has a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Pittsburgh gained in 2007. In 2013, Johnson received a Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of South Florida.
She now advocates for diabetes research, treatment, and education, having been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1993. Pageants Johnson first started competing in pageants in Florida and placed third runner-up in the Mission Florida United States of America 1997 pageant. After moving to Virginia to pursue post-graduate education at Regent University she continued competing and placed in the top ten at Mission Virginia 1997.
She sang That"s Life in the talent competition.
Education Johnson became a spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association in the 1990s and had testified in legislative hearings in Washington, District of Columbia prior to winning the Mission Virginia title. Johnson has enjoyed a varied career in diabetes.
In 2004, her communication skills and journalism background lead her to became the anchor of dLife, a weekly television series about diabetes that aired on Consumer News and Business Channel. Not limited to television media, Johnson has written several books over her career: three cookbooks with Mr. Food, an independent cookbook titled Nicole Johnson"s Diabetes Recipe Makeovers, her autobiography titled Living with Diabetes and most recently a book for young adults titled Young Adult Type 1 Diabetes Realities.
She continues to work as a diabetes advocate and patient care expert - professionally and in a volunteer capacity.
Her consulting clients have included Novo Nordisk, Animas Corporation, AmMed Direct Limited Liability Company and Eli Lilly and Company. On a volunteer basis, she has served in leadership roles within the JDRF and the American Diabetes Association. Her academic credentials have most recently lead her to public health work at the University of South Florida where she is the Executive Director of a program she created called Bringing Science Home.
In 2010, Johnson founded Students With Diabetes (SWD), at the University of South Florida, to serve the needs of the young adult population with diabetes.
In March 1998 she won the Mission Lynchburg title and went on to win the Mission Virginia 1998 title on June 29, 1998. In September Johnson represented Virginia in the Mission America 1999 pageant, becoming the second woman representing that state to win the Mission America title. In 1997 she started wearing a miniature insulin pump on her hip to control her illness, which she wore while competing at Mission Virginia and Mission America, the first Mission America contestant and winner to do southern She was also the first Mission America with diabetes. Prior to winning the Mission America title she had worked for the Christian Broadcasting Network, as well as in diabetes advocacy throughout the Southeastern United States.
