Julie Rodell began her teaching career in an elementary school classroom, then received a full scholarship from UCM, where she earned a Master's degree in Library and Information Science. During her time as an Information and Media Specialist, Julie taught students to be critical thinkers who tackled the world of online information using data literacy as well as common sense. She also mentored a group of students while they completed engineering challenges in local, state, and global competitions. Additionally, she established a chess program, where she taught students the game, sponsored a morning chess club, and organized monthly tournaments. She says it was a wonderful experience introducing so many students to the game, and it continues to be one of the things she misses most since leaving.

After a rewarding teaching career, Julie retired but quickly found she missed working with kids. She was introduced to the Adventures With Mr. Math program by fellow teacher Tanya Lock. Julie had begun her teaching career alongside Tanya and Sharon, aka “Coach McMath.” Hearing how enthusiastically they spoke about this program piqued her interest, and after observing a few classes, she knew it was the perfect fit for her.

When not teaching math, Julie can be found near a campfire or on a beach with her loyal travel companion, a retriever named Zoe.

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