Johnson speaks to encourage girls

By Madison Rost

On Friday morning, Dusty Johnson, of Mitchell, South Dakota, spoke to Girls State delegates about his scars and their stories, along with the mistakes that led to them. The former chair of SD Public Utilities Committee and former Chief of Staff to SD Governor Dennis Daugaard, he currently works at a consulting engineering firm, Vantage Point Solutions.

Johnson worked to convey to the girls the importance of being successful and achieving their goals. He explained stories about how he got some of his scars and tied in important lessons such as hard work, skipping shortcuts and focusing on what matters most to you.

“I really liked the speech because he was very interesting and engaging,” said Abbie Grinager, Seattle. “He used comparisons, so it made everyone understand the speech better. I thought he was one of the better speakers throughout the week at Girls State.”

Many other delegates such as Angie McDonnell, Miami, agreed with Grinager.

“It’s just like when you go to school, the teachers ask you to say what something means, the analogies make it easier to understand,” McDonnell said.

One of the first, and most relatable stories that Johnson shared with the delegates was about emphasizing the importance of not taking shortcuts, but doing the right thing. Most of the time, the outcome is not going to be as positive — instead you should tell the truth or follow directions.

Johnson stressed to the audience the importance of having good judgement.

“Well, shortcuts over the long haul never really save anything. Now you think they do because most of the time they work, most of the time speeding in your car will get you there five minutes faster,” he said. “Most of the time cheating a little bit on a paper or worksheet at school, as long as you don’t get caught, and that’s when you really don’t want to get caught speeding and you get a ticket or an F.”

Another important lesson Johnson explained to the Girls State delegates is to not take things for granted and appreciate what you have. When Johnson lived in Washington D.C., his life was almost taken from him when a car hit him. He explained the story while talking about a scar on his foot, and how it affected him in the long run.

“The lesson I learned in a quarter of a second between when I got hit and when I landed on the ground… time slows down, and there was enough time that I had two thoughts,” Johnson said. “First thought was, I might die and I really hope there’s a heaven. And the second thought… I really hope I don’t die because I want to see Jacquelyn again… we’ve since gotten married… and I think it’s interesting because you know what I wasn’t thinking about? Wasn’t thinking about if my shoes were cool, or if they matched my belt, I wasn’t thinking about whether or not I’m good at a videogame. Then I was at my last fleeting of a second — my thoughts were about my faith and my family.”

Johnson said the number one quality of a successful person is one who has humility. People need to realize their hard work, passion and integrity will pay off in the long run, he said.