Johanna grew up in an Italo-Australian household in Perth, listening to her family's preferred Italian dialect. At a young age, she became drawn to French, often comparing what she learned with the family's dialect.

When she entered high school, Johanna decided to study Italian. Through this, she began to understand and embrace her own heritage. She pursued her love for languages in university, completing a Bachelor of Arts in Italian and German — and a Master of Translation Studies in Italian and English Translation.

As a Project Coordinator with Ethnolink, Johanna loves that every day in translation is different, and discovering new, exciting ways to bring people together through language and culture.