Julie Swenke attended Central Washington University and finished with a degree in Outdoor Recreation. In 1994, she moved to Sun Valley from Washington to pursue an outdoor lifestyle. Julie spent her first seven years working on the ski patrol in the winter and a river guide in the summer. Later, she returned to college to receive a master's degree in Elementary Education. Since 2003, Julie has been teaching kindergarten here, at the Big Wood School. Now her children are pursuing the outdoor lifestyle.