UA Little Rock Graduate Earns Prestigious Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award

Ginger Johnson, a May graduate of the Master of Social Work program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Love of Learning Award from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.

Johnson, a native of Joplin, Missouri, who now lives in Eureka Springs and works as a mental health counselor with Chenal Family Therapy, is one of only 155 recipients nationwide and one of two from UA Little Rock to receive the $1,000 award this year. The Love of Learning Award supports post-baccalaureate professional development, including advanced studies, research, continuing education, and career training.

For Johnson, the award will help fund training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a specialized therapy used to treat trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. The six-day course in Fort Smith, Arkansas, will also help her build skills in a range of evidence-based therapeutic modalities.

“I am so appreciative of this award,” Johnson said. “Even though I’ve completed my degree, continuing education is essential for therapists. There are dozens of therapy modalities beyond what we learn in graduate school, and many of them cost thousands of dollars to train and become certified in. This award helps make that training possible.”

Johnson’s passion for helping others guides her work as a therapist, where she primarily serves children and families in the local school district. While UA Little Rock provided her with a strong foundation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, she said expanding her skill set through additional certifications is key to providing the best possible care for her patients.

“A therapist needs to be able to do at least a few modalities well and be familiar with many,” she said. “This training will give me another important tool to help my clients heal and thrive.”

Johnson was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 2024 at UA Little Rock. She said the award comes at a pivotal time in her career.

“I’m still building my caseload and working toward a full-time income, so I’m having to pinch pennies,” she said. “This support truly comes at the right moment, and I’m deeply grateful.”

Since 1932, Phi Kappa Phi’s award programs have recognized members and students for outstanding academic achievement and professional potential. Each year, the organization distributes more than $1 million through awards and grants that benefit nearly 400 individuals.