ACC Staff Spotlight: Julie Bruce

It's time for another ACC Staff Spotlight! Let's get to know Julie Bruce, Case Manager at ACC and how she's Moving Mountains to support our students! 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am just your typical middle-aged woman with a bone to pick with society. I've been married for 38 interesting years to David Bruce, and we have two hilarious kids, Lorin (31) and Jonah (30) who both flew the coop for the east coast a couple of years ago. Our dog, Luna, a Shiba Inu, actually runs the show as Shibas are wont to do, and we don't mind that one bit.

I work as a Case Manager in charge of helping students meet their basic needs in the Dean of Students Office, and I'm pretty sure I haven't felt so fulfilled by a job as I do with this one. I love our students and ACC community, and I love helping our students find their way through life.

What is your job at ACC?

I'm a Case Manager in the Dean of Students Office

What do you do at ACC (explain your role)?

I work as a Case Manager in charge of helping students meet their basic needs in the Dean of Students Office, and I'm pretty sure I haven't felt so fulfilled by a job as I do with this one. I love our students and ACC community, and I love helping our students find their way through life. I also manage our food pantry, The Puma Pantry, and do some educational programming for students like host a Basic Needs Fair, Coptails, and next year, I will start some Basic Cooking From the Food Pantry workshops where anyone can come learn what tasty meals they can make with the foods found in our food pantry.

How long have you been at ACC?

I have worked for ACC for 8 years this July. Wow, time flies!

Are you a part of any clubs / organizations / committees at ACC or outside of ACC? What are they and why did you choose them?

I am a member of the Arapahoe Food Coalition - we help connect non-profit food organizations to various sources with the end goal of eliminating hunger in Arapahoe County. I am currently in the process of joining the Elks because of their community service focus. I am also a member of Positively Pink, a breast cancer survivor group on the ACC campus that supports women who have survived or are experiencing breast cancer.

Why did you choose ACC?

It was purely accidental! My husband returned from his UN job in Somalia to become the director of the ACC Law Enforcement Academy. He was talking to Lisa Matye Edwards who asked him if he was related to me as she was my internship advisor at DU during grad school. I came to campus to say hello to her, and she talked me into coming back to higher ed after a 13 year hiatus.

While my starting here was accidental, I stay on purpose because this community is supportive, peaceful, and comes together in times of crisis whether that is to help a colleague or to help a student. There are not many organizations who can say that.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

I'm not really sure what my biggest accomplishment is, but, if I had to name something, it would be seeing students who have come to our office for help graduate. I did not do the work, but knowing that perhaps the food our office provided them or the ongoing conversations we have with them may have played a part in their success makes me feel good.

What is your mountain (ultimate goal)?

I'm on top of my mountain right now. I am living a peaceful, joyful life full of love and that's really all I have ever wanted.

What's your favorite ACC memory so far?

My favorite memory is going for coffee in the morning with my husband and his colleagues. We laugh and have a great time chatting with everyone who comes into the shop while we are there. Also, I have been instructed to include that anything I do with Ashlie is memorable.

Tell us a fun fact about you / Something people may be surprised to find out about you.

I have a degree in Studio Art and a certificate in Culinary Arts.

Top 5 Quotes to Live By

• "There is no limit to the good one can do as long as one does not care who gets the credit." 
  Winston Churchill
• "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but 
  people will never forget how you made them feel." 
  Maya Angelou
• "Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole 
  life believing that it is stupid."
  Albert Einstein
• "The time is always right to do what is right."
  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• "Love one another."
  Jesus

What is your advice to future and current students at ACC?

If you take care of the present, the future will take care of itself. So do what is required right now, keep your goals in the back of your mind, and keep moving forward. Don't allow anxiety take control because if you are taking care of the present, everything will work out as it should. Reach out for help when you need it, and don't be afraid to need it. We were all put here on earth to help one another through, so ask for help and offer help.

Do you know a student, staff member, faculty member, instructor, or alumni that you would like to nominate for an ACC Spotlight? jessica [dot] horning [at] arapahoe [dot] edu (Let us know!) Or if you would like to be spotlighted on the ACC blog, complete our Spotlight form.