While at Ohio State University, Julia studied photography and gained ample experience in leading trips with OSU’s Outdoor Adventure center. This included a one-month expedition to Australia and New Zealand and the High Sierra Leadership Expedition, a 190-mile trek along the John Muir Trail that culminated in summiting Mount Whitney. After graduating, Julia moved to New Orleans to work as a leadership mentor at Tulane Hillel. A firm believer in the power of relationships and experiential education, Julia organized and led a leadership trip to Israel/Palestine for Tulane students, two alternative spring break trips, and a civil dialogue lab series. In listening to students and their stories at Tulane, she developed the Portrait Identity Project, which she now produces at Hillels nationally. The project uses portrait photography and interviews to share students’ stories mostly of multiracial and multiethnic backgrounds, as they reflect on the intersection of their identities. This work led her to pursue a professional education in social work. As a Master of Social Work (MSW) candidate at New York University (NYU), she aims to acquire the necessary skills to not only share stories but also to address systemic issues at their roots, thereby aiding individuals, organizations, and communities in enhancing their well-being and quality of life. Julia currently works for the NYC Department of Education as a school social work intern in a Brooklyn-based high school, where she counsels students in individual and group settings, facilitating personal and academic development. This fall, Julia will return to NYU, working at NYU’s Adaptive Leadership Institute in Human Services, completing her MSW, and becoming an LMSW.