Due to the the lack of a photography program at Point Arena High School, she is primarily self-taught. She shared photos with the scholarship committee on a wide variety of subjects and spoke passionately about her dream of working for National Geographic. Toward this end, she plans on attending Santa Rosa Junior College to take advantage of its excellent photography program, and to complete her general education requirements before transferring to Academy of Art in San Francisco. Julie said she has already been accepted, but will defer her attendance.