Baldwin City ? Jennifer Johnson, a 1994 Baker University graduate, will be honored with a Shining Star of Perseverance award as one of the authors of “Nordie’s at Noon,” a book which shares the inspirational stories of young women coping with breast cancer.

The Shining Star of Perseverance is a national award given annually by the WillReturn Council of Assurant Employee Benefits to honor those who have made the most significant recent contribution toward demonstrating perseverance through disabling illness or injury. The award will be presented at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Crown Center Exhibit Hall B, adjacent to the Hyatt Regency Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Mo.

Johnson, Kim Carlos, Patti Balwanz and Jana Peters – all in their mid-20s to early 30s when diagnosed with breast cancer – created their own support group, which met every month at the cafe inside the Nordstrom’s department store in Overland Park.

“After being diagnosed, we were all disappointed with the lack of information available to young women with breast cancer, so we wanted to share our experiences with other women needing resources and support,” Johnson said.

Johnson and Carlos will be present to receive the Shining Star award. Family members of Balwanz and Peters will accept the award on behalf of these two women, who died in 2003 and 2006, respectively, following their battle with cancer.