DFW Young & Social is filled with unique and wonderful individuals, and it wouldn't be the same without you! Our Member Spotlight gives us the chance to say thank you for being a part of the community, and to highlight our wonderful members.

Meet Johny, our outstanding member for April 2024.

What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?

I learned how to fly a cessna 172, she was a reliable old bird except for half of her radios always being out. Life interrupted before I finished the solo flights I needed to get my private pilot's license, but I can get by without that in case of zombie apocalypse. I may still finish it one day, but it's an expensive hobby to actually do and I already have one of those!

What’s the last book you read?

The Three-body Problem is the last book I finished, after having it suggested by coworkers probably 10 years ago and only just now getting around to it this year. Now that Netflix has done an adaptation I feel like I need to read the next two in the trilogy before I watch it. How many books are too many to be reading at once? Asking for a friend that already is reading multiple books at once and is wondering if they should add another before finishing any…

Are you currently binge-watching any shows? 

Not at the moment, but does watching an hour or two a night stretched out over weeks even count as binging? It's not often I'll actually binge a show for several hours in one go. I also have internal resistance against jumping in to shows I'm already multiple seasons behind on. Don't judge me too harshly, but people have been trying to tell me to watch shows like the Office, Parks and Rec, Friends, and the Big Bang Theory (to name a few) for years; my internal response is always along the lines of “sorry I'm too many seasons behind so I'll just keep ‘thinking about it’ for another decade!”

All that said, I'm telling anyone who gets even remotely close to the subject of tv shows that they should watch Frieren, whether or not they think they like anime. It's at most a proper two day binge, and dethroned all my previous favorite animes across every subgenre that were previously vying for my #1 spot by a landslide.

Favorite hobby? 

Snowboarding for sure! It combines great views, that crisp and rejuvenating mountain air, my favorite form of water, and can be just as chill or intense as I want it to be. I didn't learn until I was already 28. I still have fond memories of spending most of my first two days on my back trying to figure out how to get my body to move correctly, and it's been a steady progression of my skills since. It's on my bucket list to snowboard several mountains around the world.

Favorite DFW Young & Social event so far? 

Karaoke Potluck! Did I mention I'm a foodie? My favorite part is that our diverse group has resulted in getting to try many new and delicious dishes! And also I both equally enjoy and am terrified by doing karaoke, so I like that I can get myself out of my comfort zone for a song or two.

Do you have any passion projects or side gigs?

Perfecting cheesecake recipes! I'm always on the lookout for inspiration to improve my recipes. Death by chocolate is only a precursor to my dream of the ultimate chocolate cheesecake; my cheesecake-heart tells me it's three elements away from the next level of amazing, I just have to figure out what they are. One of these days I'm going to perfect my apple pie and peach cobbler cheesecake recipes too.

Who is someone who’s made a big impact on your life?

I've debated a few different people for this one before I settled on a historical figure: King Solomon. One of my strongest childhood memories is of learning about King Solomon and when he asked God for wisdom. Short version, he was just a child, king only in title, and God basically gave him a genie-style wish for anything, and he asked for the wisdom to discern between right and wrong. He valued wisdom over a long life, riches, power, honor, or glory. It struck me in that moment that I wanted that too, and I've tried to live my life by that ever since.

Favorite place you’ve traveled?

I have a lot of countries on my list I've yet to visit, but I've had the opportunity to visit Israel twice now. There is definitely something perspective-altering about walking through cities hundreds or thousands of years old, with buildings and roads still in use that are older than this country.
But did I mention I'm a foodie? My favorite part was definitely the amazingly delicious food I had. Some foods are still ruined for me because they were so much better than here. Like burgers. Shawarma laffa. Falafel. I think I need to go back, probably as part of a Europe trip so I can cross off some other places.