Julie participated in everything possible--girl scouts, dancing, cheerleading, basketball, tennis, track, choir, and played snare drum in the band. She was an honor student as well as an accomplished art student winning several awards for her drawings and paintings. She was also an eight-year 4-H Club member winning sewing and cooking awards including the Outstanding Home Ecomonics Award when she was only ten years old. In her "spare" time, she wrote poetry.