.173 Julia De la Cruz

Just hearing Julia’s voice on the phone was enough to bring an instant smile to my face. She has this jubilant, reassuring energy about her that is always grounding and so very refreshing. We met when I was an RA in college and she was a Resident Director, meaning I had the luck of getting to chat with her every week and to experience her compassionate and generous soul.

Julia truly has a unique presence that always both calmed me down and made me laugh. She has a wonderful sense of humor and comedic timing, and she just exudes good vibes, which make her all the more fun to be around. She’s incredibly smart, too, always looking for the best solution while keeping kindness and empathy in mind at every turn. I learned a ton during that year in college just by watching her interact with those around her, from the RAs reporting to her, other students, and her own manager(s). It’s been years (literally) since we’ve spoken, and she’s now married and has a family! All of this makes sense to me when you factor in how giving and sweet she is, along with her being so nurturing, supportive, and thoughtful.

Julia, thank you so much for being such a bright light for me and so many others! Thank you for showing me the value and practice of working hard while also not taking life too seriously. Thank you for being such a good human being and for being such a wonderful listener. Thank you, Julia, for being you!

-BD