MacArthur High School alumna Sydnee Johnson has been making history along the way to her dream career in sound mixing.

Her career in audio and sound mixing was first inspired by her time in KMAC, the student-run and produced broadcast at MacArthur. KMAC provided opportunity for Johnson to learn the foundations of sound creation and familiarize herself with audio editing software.

“It seemed like everyone else wanted either to be on camera or operating the camera, and I was the only person who just wanted to do audio,” says Johnson. “I always gravitated toward audio and controlling sound in different capacities.”

After graduating from MacArthur in 2007, Johnson went on to the University of North Texas to study film. Her love of all things audio led her next to an internship in the world of sound effect design. For three months she worked with a group to create a library of zombie apocalypse-themed sound effects. 

She was hooked, and went on to work as a sound mixer, editor and recordist for a variety of companies. Over the years, Johnson’s career has included many unique opportunities, including a chance to work as a sound mixer for NFL Films.

In her role with NFL Films Johnson has worked on the audio team for regular season games, feature films and shows, and even the Super Bowl. In addition to these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, Johnson also worked on the first all-female audio team in NFL Films history. Today, she is the only woman doing audio for NFL Films.

For Johnson, being a woman in a primarily male-dominant industry never slowed the pursuit of her dream career. After years dedicated to a craft she loves, she is proud to show that with hard work anyone can attain their goals.

For other young women pursuing a dream career, Johnson shares a few words of wisdom.

“Trust your instincts and put all of yourself into what you do if you love it,” says Johnson. “It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female. If you love what you do, you will naturally gravitate to those who also love what they do.”