Julie grew up on the eastern end of Long Island, where she spent her childhood exploring salty marshes, creeks, bays, and ocean beaches. She sometimes wonders what she’s doing on the mainland, so far from the sea. She studied Graphic Design and Illustration at RIT and earned her M.S.Ed. from Bank Street College. Julie brings many years of teaching experience to Hilltop, including teaching English as a Second Language in Spain and South Korea and working in Reggio Emilia–inspired and Montessori schools in New York City and Boston.