Sam Johnson (born 14 February 1989) is a law and politics student from Canterbury University who rose to prominence as the organiser of the Student Volunteer Army in the immediate aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes of September 2010 and February 2011.
Johnson grew up in Mayfield and he has two siblings, Rebecca Johnson and Bridget Johnson.[1][2] He moved to Christchurch after his parents split up and attended Christ's College for two terms,[2] before spending a year as a gap student working in the Brecon Beacons in South West Wales.
Johnson is a student at Canterbury University, studying towards a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Laws.[3][4]
Johnson successfully stood for the Riccarton-Wigram Community Board of the Christchurch City Council in the October 2010 local body elections.[5] A member of the National Party, but not the Young Nats, he was endorsed by Prime Minister John Key for his election campaign. Key said of Johnson that he "might be Prime Minister one day."[2][6] Johnson has declared that he has no intention to run for higher public office in the near future.[7]
In the days immediately following the earthquakes, while the university's Ilam campus was closed to enable the buildings to be checked for structural safety, 21-year-old Johnson and other students formed informal groups to help to assist with non-lifesaving tasks, in particularly cleaning up soil liquefaction residue on the streets and gardens of the city. Johnson and the other members of the Student Volunteer Army were highly visible and featured in much of the news reporting of the earthquake. Organised using Facebook and social media, the concept enabled thousands of students and residents of Christchurch to make a contribution to those most affected by the devastating earthquakes. At its peak, there were 13,000 students volunteering per week.[2] Johnson met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she toured Christchurch in 2010.[8] The team of organisers received high praise from officials in New Zealand and this resulted in them speaking with Prince William about the potential programmes of volunteering involving young people.[9]
In late April / early May 2011, Johnson spent two weeks in Japan following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami to set up a Student Volunteer Army at Waseda University.[10]
In 2011 Johnson won a leadership award from the Sir Peter Blake Trust[11][12] before travelling to Delhi, India as a Global Changemaker to attend the British Council Asian Youth Summit.[13]