She said of the highlights of the RISE program was a fact-finding mission participants took to Ghana in early September to develop cultural, spiritual and economic awareness.

"It was a cultural mission in the sense that most of the participants were of African descent, and there's a certain sense of identity there that cannot be underestimated, a self esteem as far as having a sense of who they are that goes back further than slavery," Johnson said.

Spirituality was an important element of the trip because Ghana has very strong Christian elements, Johnson said.

"Individuals who professed to be Christian were really serious about it there," she said. "The two concepts of spiritual and economic development were clearly joined there."

Economics came into play because participants were able to see a developing country up close, Johnson noted.

In applying for the Glamour award, Johnson was required to obtain the nominating signatures of two deans and a professor.

"I saw this at a time when I was applying for various scholarships," Johnson said.

"I remembered someone from Harvard being honored by it before, decided to go ahead and apply," she added