Bio

Julie's early years, born into a military family in South Texas, are a testament to her extraordinary adaptability. She seamlessly transitioned from one location to another, from the Texas A and I University campus's family housing to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, Fort Benning, Georgia, Germany, and the U.S. Embassy in Chile. Her journey continued to San Antonio, Texas, and later to Laredo, Texas, where her father accepted an assignment with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Texas. The Alfaro's then set up a household in Corpus Christi, Texas, and later in Carlsbad, California, where she graduated early and started college. 

During college, Julie took an extended four-year surf trip, during which she traveled to the most remote Pacific coastal regions of Mexico, such as Nayarit, Sinaloa, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco. In Mexico, she gained a love for nature, simple living, and teaching through volunteering at the local DIF Fonapas. 

After returning to the United States to complete her college studies at Texas A and M, Corpus Christi (B.A.), and raise her children, she completed a graduate degree (M.A.) in political science and international relations at St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas. 

Julie's love for teaching and travel has led her on a global journey of exploration. Her adventurous spirit has taken her to all corners of the globe, from the U.S. to Spain, Monaco, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Hawaiian Islands, Costa Rica, Panama, Bahamas, the Caymans, the Dominican Republic,  Nicaragua, Guatemala, and  El Salvador, among others. Her extensive travel experiences and love for new adventures inspire those around her.

She is truly blessed with her children, Richard King, Daniel Matthew Joel, Elizabeth Anne, Victoria Justina, and Summer, as well as two grandchildren, Freya and Georgia. Her husband, John, is a source of constant support.