This blog is part of our ‘Support Provider Series’. Behind every learner’s journey is a network of people who encourage, inspire and support them along the way. SelfDesign’s support providers play an important role in that journey, offering specialized knowledge and individualized learning opportunities that help learners build confidence and reach their goals. 

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Julia never expected to become a teacher.

A lifelong learner, her experiences span from animation, silversmithing, beekeeping and ceramics to skating, graphic design and homeschooling. Now in her fourth year working with SelfDesign learners, she brings that eclectic background to her work as a teacher and tutor, supporting learners in everything from high school academics and executive functioning to art portfolios and academic planning.

Julia is also a homeschooling parent of three. Her personal experience with neurodivergence, combined with homeschooling her neurodivergent and gifted child for nearly two decades, has shaped both her approach and her passion for supporting learners who don’t always fit neatly within traditional educational systems.

“I consider myself a champion for the kids at the margins of the system, and I love to see the underdog succeed,” Julia shares.

For Julia, supporting neurodivergent learners is deeply personal.

“As far as teaching unique learners, I think that has just worked out because we gravitate towards each other,” she shares.“I can often support them in a way that works so well for their sense of dignity and identity that they are very willing to work on some of the less appealing aspects of academic output.”

Long before she became a support provider, Julia was learning lessons about education from her grandmother, a teacher in a small mining town who believed every learner deserved the opportunity to succeed.

Today, that influence continues to shape Julia’s work. She is passionate about helping learners discover strengths they may not yet see in themselves and building the confidence needed to reach their goals. Julia meets them where they are and helps them move forward with confidence.

“The older I get, the more I appreciate [my grandmother’s] stubborn adherence to the basics,” Julia reflects. “These basics are being shown through modern data to be more and more valuable every year that I’ve been teaching.”

One of Julia’s most memorable experiences involved a learner who was struggling with a particularly challenging assignment. Together, they revisited the material again and again, working through roadblocks and searching for new ways to understand the concepts. After a long session of research and problem-solving, something finally clicked.

The learner not only mastered the material but continued independently and demonstrated a level of confidence they hadn’t shown before. For Julia, it was one of those moments that perfectly captured the impact the right support can have.

“My favourite part of supporting learners are the moments when I can see the pure pride welling up in them as a result of our work together,” shares Julia.

“Watching human beings regain their sense of confidence in their abilities after a negative academic experience or a stressful school environment is the absolute best and it fills me with joy and purpose. The right support makes all the difference for neurodivergent learners and their families, and I feel honoured to be given a chance to earn their trust and take them to new academic and personal heights.”

While Julia works directly with learners, she sees her role as part of something much larger. In this way, Julia exemplifies our SelfDesign philosophy and value of learning through relationship.

Families are made up of many moving parts, and she believes meaningful support happens when everyone works together toward a common goal. Whether she is helping facilitate a breakthrough or supporting a parent’s vision for the year ahead, she views learning as a collaborative journey.

“I see myself as a member of a team that surrounds a child, and some days I get to be the point person that facilitates the ‘breakthrough’, ” Julia explains.

“Other days I am more of a background supporter to a parent’s plan for their child’s learning year. A support provider can play many parts depending on the needs of the learner and their family, but the central theme for me is that I am here to support the whole system surrounding the person I’m working with.”