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FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE | 41 BY KAREN WERNER N icola “Nikii” Johnston has always seen the world as a puzzle of interconnected pieces. Whether she was looking at cells under a microscope or artifacts in the Arizona dirt, her life’s work has been defined by curiosity: How do things relate to one another, and how can we make them work better? Today, as a dedicated philanthropist and board member for the SciTech Institute, she is using that same analytical rigor to help strengthen the future of science education in Arizona. But her path to philanthropy wasn’t a straight line — it was a journey that spanned marine laboratories, the halls of the Mayo Clinic and a high-stakes family cattle ranch. For Nikii Johnston, philanthropy is problem-solving — rooted in analysis, driven by curiosity and focused on the next generation. FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE | 41 The Data-Driven Donor Johnston helped create a science camp at Barrow Neurological Institute to turn students’ scientific curiosity into career-ready skills. From lab coats to legacy, Johnston swapped the research bench for the boardroom to champion the future of STEM. NEXT DOORS