The Johnson O Connor Research Foundation began in 1922. There are currently eleven cities (including Atlanta) in the U.S. used as testing cites. According to their website: "The Johnson O Connor Research Foundation is a nonprofit scientific research and educational organization with two primary commitments: to study human abilities and to provide people with a knowledge of their aptitudes that will help them derive more satisfaction from their lives by discovering their natural potential."
I was recently blessed to be a guest and participant of Johnson O Connor (JOC). I am fascinated by the inter-workings of this organization. I took a battery of tests for about 5 hours. The employees of JOC are professional, yet caring and great at their jobs. Some tests were more enjoyable than others! They were all necessary to uncover my aptitudes. I was surprised by some, in particularly a high percentile score in "Pitch Discrimination". Not only was this insightful occupationally, but personally. After singing in my church choir for about 25 years, I have been out of action for 11 years. Several factors having been leading up to me rejoining the choir, and this discovery of "Pitch Discrimination" was the final reason that God used to bring me back to our wonderful choir. This is a chance for me to use this aptitude to glorify God!
Also, I scored high in several areas of math. I originally received a BBA in Business Management. This helps satisfies my questions of my interest in this major. However, there are other aspects of my personality that did not match up with the Business World. Fortunately, God guided me to a career as a teacher. As a retiree, I can look back with satisfaction of this career choice. I used my business and math skills with various subjects throughout my teaching career. And, I actually taught math exclusively for seven years, as well as part of my teaching-load for parts of three or four years.
With all that said, I really wished I would have had the opportunity to be tested at JOC during High School. Maybe, I would have gone straight into teaching, or maybe I would have been a Communications Major. I still have a dream of being a Radio DJ. Regardless, I highly recommend Johnson O Connor to all High School students. Besides the insight provided for one's personal and professional life due to high aptitudes, there are also recommendations for how to overcome low aptitudes. For example, some young people would be best served by going to a small school or a technical school. While others may flourish at a larger institution.
The latter part of the JOC commitments addresses helping people "derive more satisfaction from their lives by discovering their natural potential." I love this! Don't we all want a career that is fulfilling and one that we enjoy?! JOC helps one find just that. Also, our hobbies can be a place we find this satisfaction.
Finally, one personal insight for me was a low aptitude in one or two areas that allowed my JOC advisor to let me know that I would need to hire a plumber. I can't tell you how good that made me feel. All my life, I thought I cheated myself out of the skill of doing house-hold fixing skills, such as plumbing, because I was ALWAYS playing or studying sports. Now I realize that I don't have the aptitude for these types of things, and I feel better about myself.
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