HEB ISD School & Family Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 10

Spotlight on Julie Cole,
Board Member
extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to
travel to many places. I can’t remember not enjoying
a place that I visited. I love to explore new places. I
think there is beauty and excitement that is unique to
each and every place that I have been.
What’s something that amazes you?

What schools did you attend?
Elementary/Junior High: St. Therese School, Parkville,
MO (K-8)
High School: St. Pius X High School, Kansas City,
MO (9-12)
College: The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
What is one quote or saying that you love, that
keeps you going in life?
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” –
Mahatma Gandhi
What would be a perfect afternoon for you?
Spending the day with my kids (and their friends, too)
just hanging around at the house. I would likely be
cooking lunch and baking them cookies. I love having
a house full of kids around the kitchen table!
Who was your role model that you looked up to
as a kid?
If I look back, I think my teachers and coaches were
the major influencers in my life. The role models that
stand out in my mind were masters at cultivating a
strong work ethic and they showed me by example
the importance of serving others.
What is your favorite city that you have ever visited
and why?
My dad worked for TWA from the time I was three
years old until I was in college and then I worked
for American Airlines for 18 years, so I have been
8

I am always amazed at what people are capable
of doing. When I see the talents and gifts that so
many people have found ways to capitalize on, I am
amazed! Of course there are examples every day in
the news and pop culture: Simone Biles and Michael
Phelps, Lin-Manual Miranda, J.K. Rowling, or Mark
Zuckerberg. But there are also things happening in
the classrooms of HEB ISD every single day that
could, and very likely will, lead to extraordinary things
happening in the lives of students. Each and every day
students find ways to continuously improve their skills
and knowledge in any given subject area. Each and
every day teachers and staff identify a child that needs
a little extra help and they find a way to support their
growth. Each time I attend a school music concert, or
a school sporting event, or a school spelling bee I am
amazed at what our kids can do! The students in HEB
ISD are each preparing to be the next great writer or
athlete or scientist, and I can’t wait to see what these
kids of ours do!

and activities offered. After I went away to college,
I realized that many of my friends had been able to
participate in a greater offering of classes, programs,
and clubs at their schools than I did. (Even though I
had taken advantage of as many things as I could at
my school).
I think students today need to have exposure to as
many options as we can possibly give them. HEB
ISD’s belief in educating the whole child is something
that I am passionate about. Sometimes students start
off thinking that they only like history class or language
arts or athletics but with time and exposure to different

experiences they realize that math or fine arts or
serving others is really where their passion lies. As
kids have the opportunity to become involved in school
with things like robotics, choir or student council, they
see their options for their futures expand. Students
in HEB ISD can be involved in many varied program
options both academically and extracurricular that
will help them find out what they love and what they
would like to do with their lives.

Give us a brief bio of your career.
I am currently working for Fidelity Investments as
a Senior Analyst for Speech Analytics. I have been
with Fidelity since March 2016 where I was brought
on board to help build and implement their Speech
Analytics software for a new organization at Fidelity
called Intelligence and Insights. I built my skills and
experience in Speech Analytics over the last 8 years
of my 18-year career at American Airlines. My work in
Speech Analytics has been focused on finding ways to
improve business processes through understanding
the customer experience. The first 10 years of my
career at American Airlines was spent managing teams
of people in Reservations and Managing Projects to
build operational efficiencies within the call centers.
What makes you so passionate about HEB ISD?
When I was growing up, I attended private schools. I
loved my schools and being involved, but my schools
were very small and limited in the number of classes
9