Julia Nelson has been a member of Circle of Life Caregiver Cooperative since 2015, holding roles including caregiver, office assistant, and currently Board of Directors Chair. Prior to her employment with COL, Julia owned a small industrial sewing business and spent years pursuing work in the agricultural and hospitality industries. Julia spent most of her formative years providing care for family members and friends through various surgeries, including recovery care after her grandfather had a limb amputation due to old injuries from WW2. After high school, Julia initially pursued a bachelor's degree in Psychology before sustaining a traumatic brain injury. While this forced her to pause education throughout rehabilitation, she was able to start her degree pathway again in 2018 and has since completed an associate degree. Continually feeling the pull to help others in more than just a volunteer capacity led Julia to COL, where she has been progressively more involved in the cooperative. After a decade of working in numerous corporations, Julia found the co-op approach to be a life changing experience. Since then, she has worked with like-minded individuals to provide employment opportunities that are equitable. When marketing employment opportunities, Julia focuses on the cooperative differences she feels the most: family-first, a voice in a company you own that is actually heard, plentiful cross training and advancement opportunities, and personal life support from the cooperative as needed. During her free time, Julia can usually be found with her dog, son, and fiancé exploring the pacific northwest, singing along with musicals, and dreaming about visiting her hometown in Alaska to be surrounded by mountains as far as the eye can see.