Julie was born in Mankota, Minnesota, February 28, 1976. She moved with her family to Tucson when she was in first grade and attended Borton Primary Magnet school, Holladay Intermediate Magnet school and Magee Junior High school. In elementary school and junior high, Julie excelled in academics, athletics, and music. She graduated from Sahuaro in June 1994, first in her class with a 4.0 grade point average, and was one of the featured speakers at graduation as well as one of the singers of the national anthem.
At Sahuaro High School, Julie was involved in and excelled in many activities. Julie was in National Honor society, Concert Choir, Emerging Democracy Crub, was Journalism Student of the Year, and in her senior year, was co-editor of Mountain Shadows. In her senior year she was elected Homecoming Queen and “Most Likely to Succeed.”
Julie was very involved with athletics in Sahuaro and was voted Female Athlete of the-year in her Sophomore and senior years. she played volleyball and earned ten athletic letters, three in softball, four in track and three in cross country. she earned all state honors in track four years. she was all-state in long jump, 220 meters, 400 meters, and 4×100 as a Sophomore and regional champ in those four events as well as 4A long jump champ as a Junior. she earned second-team all city cross country honors twice and the important “Stotan” award three times. she was the runner up in the state heptathlon in 1992.
Julie was a member of the Sahuaro team that won Class 4A State Championships in 1992 and 1993. she was one of the Tucson Citizen All Star Softball Players in ’92, ’93, and ’94, the Arizona Daily Star softball all stars in ’92 and ’93 and the Arizona Daily Star Girls Track all stars in ’93. In her senior year she was the co-winner of the Tucson Citizen Student Athlete of the Year and the High school sportswoman of the Year, an award from the Women’s Sports Foundation. As a junior, Julie won the Sahuaro Cougar Foundation Award and the ASU Medallion of Merit.
After being recruited by many Division I universities to play softball and run track, Julie chose to accept a Softball Scholarship at The University of Arizona. She was also awarded the University of Arizona Regents Academic Waiver in 1994-1997 because of her outstanding grades and was a part of the Honors Program During her three years playing with the softball team, they won the NCAA Division I National Championship in 1996 and 1997 and were the second place team in 1995. Julie won the Mary Roby Academic Achievement Award in ’94, ’95, ’96. In May 1996, she was a GTE Academic All American in District VIII. Julie also frequently spoke at schools in Tucson as a role model.
Julie made outstanding contributions as an outfielder and hitter in her three years on the University of Arizona Women’s Softball team. After her death from hypoglycemia the head coach Mike Candrea, called her the “spiritual leader” of the team. Others called her the “”heart” of the team because of her caring for members of the team and because of her faithful witness.