Julia was born and raised in South Orange, New Jersey. Having attended Columbia High School, she was always interested in the beauty of diversity and racial difference that she experienced throughout her schooling. At the same time, she always had a crush on comedy. She performed in and directed a sketch comedy show in high school and didn’t return to it until she was a graduate student. She now tries to balance both, studying how schools and teachers can be culturally competent and effectively address race and racism, while also pursuing her own love for stand up comedy. In both of these worlds, Julia’s primary focus is thinking about how to make the world more affirming and safe for the BIPOC and queer communities that have made it feel safe for her.