Tracy Tighe Johnston
Tracy has always enjoyed a career involving helping others. First as a teacher, then as an Assistant Principal and finally a Special Education Director. Looking at challenges from a positive place and empowering others to face their greatest difficulty has always been one of her strengths.
When an advanced stage cancer diagnosis derailed her family’s life plans, Tracy insisted they not go through it alone or quietly. With a room full of strangers, at Hartford Healthcare Cancer Institute in Avon, she celebrated her 49th birthday by handing out 49 cake pops. It was Tracy’s very first day of chemotherapy, and the cake pops helped her to show up. The rest of her story is quite simple; a weary family continuously making choices. Sometimes by the hour or even by the minute, but their choices were always clear: stay strong, keep showing up and, when you need to, lean into those who love you.
Tracy loves her family dearly and has been married to the man of her dreams for 21 years. Together she and Sean are raising their two teenage children, Phoebe and Tighe. They live in West Hartford, CT with their three furry pets, Ollie, Slider and Annie.
Tracy’s undergraduate degree is from the University of Connecticut School of Human Development & Family Relations. She then obtained her master’s degree and Teaching Certification from Southern Connecticut State University. Finally, Tracy earned her 6th Year in School Leadership from Sacred Heart University.