Cynthia Guthrie Johnson

Cynthia Guthrie Johnson is a 1973 graduate of West Side High School and was the valedictorian. She is a certified Community Development Specialist and economist. She retired in August 2012 from College of DuPage (COD) in Glen Ellyn, IL, and currently lives in North Carolina.

As Community Development Specialist, Cynthia was COD’s liaison to all community entities, developing and executing programs of mutual interest. She established the Pathfinder Program, a collection of intensive S.T.E.M. courses for hundreds of African American and Hispanic high school students taught by COD professors. Her multi-layered approach to student enrichment included requiring the students to participate in national youth programs and building a coalition of churches, businesses, school districts, colleges, and non-profits to host the annual African American & Latino Student Summit for parents.

For a dozen years, Cynthia was one of the college’s most well-known and ardent advocates for diversity in student and faculty recruitment. Through the county-wide Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Breakfast, which she organized every year, more than $50,000 in scholarships was awarded to outstanding diverse college students.

Prior to COD, Cynthia worked in a series of education-related careers, including economic forecaster and instructor for the Bell system, and teacher in DuPage County, IL schools. Her vocation and avocation have always centered on excellence in education and addressing gaps in service to the community.

Cynthia looks forward to assisting Guthrie Family Scholarship winners with her time, treasure, and talents.