Academically excellent and artistically superior, Julia Clayton exemplifies the traits of a true Enloe scholar. Going above and beyond in all aspects of her life, Julia stands out for her kind and dedicated personality.
Julia is passionate about the performing arts. As a freshman, she enrolled in the beginning chorus class. Although she had no prior choral experience, chorus teacher Ms. Hallihan was quickly impressed by her diligence. She decided to move Julia to chamber choir—the highest level of chorus—as a sophomore.
“She is the only person that I have moved from the beginning ensemble to chamber. And she definitely deserved it… She worked not only in class but outside of class in order to improve her own skill sets,” Ms. Hallihan explained.
Taking her musical skills to an even higher level, Julia was accepted into Enloe’s acapella group, Crescenloe, at the end of her freshman year. The elite club practices after school throughout the year, learning songs and choreography. The group has repeatedly excelled in competitions, including advancing to the national level when Julia was a sophomore and junior.
Crescenloe members often arrange their own music, meaning that they write the sheet music for the different voice parts themselves instead of buying it from a company. Julia has taken an active role in this part of the club, serving as Co-Music Director during her junior and senior years. This experience has taught her a lot of lessons about leadership, including “the importance of setting boundaries” and how to “separate being a leader from being a friend.”
In addition to her dedication to singing, Julia is very active in theater, serving as the president of Enloe’s International Thespian Society. She was inducted into the theater-based honor society at the end of her freshman year and has participated in multiple of its service projects, such as the TOTS-EAT food drive.
Fusing her loves of music and theater, Julia starred in Enloe’s “Les Misérables” as Cosette and was cast as the understudy for Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.” Cosette is Julia’s personal favorite of the many roles she has played, saying it “forced [her] to look into the depth of her story and character.”
“Cossette kind of has a difficult story. If you’re kind of just looking on the surface as an actor, you’re not really getting the point across in the way that you should,” Julia said. “I liked that I was able to tell her story in a different way.”
Further challenging herself, Julia chose to enroll in the IB Program, one of the most rigorous options Enloe has to offer. Despite the infamous workload, Julia has no regrets about her decision. It has encouraged her to become a better writer, consider broader worldviews, and volunteer regularly.
“I honestly can’t really imagine my life without the IB Program,” Julia said. “[It has made] a huge difference in how I process information and knowledge.”
Julia is able to manage her many activities, seemingly with ease, thanks to her careful planning and time management. No matter how busy she is, Julia makes sure to prioritize her health in order to stay productive and avoid burnout.
“She has so much on her plate, but she’s able to manage it so well and also still has so much time to care for each and every one of her friends,” said Paloma DeFrank, who has known Julia since they were both six weeks old. “She’s incredibly empathetic… She’s never changed herself to fit in with other people. She’s always been very uniquely herself… I feel like I am the most authentic version of myself around her.”
“She’s a very kind and caring human being… She sees her kindness as a strength because it makes her even a better leader,” Ms. Hallihan said. “I think of Julia as this beautiful unique human being who has gone through this journey of self-discovery and has truly found her voice both as a musician but also just as a person.”
In keeping with her compassionate nature, Julia plans to pursue obstetrics—the branch of medicine that focuses on pregnancy and childbirth. She was inspired by her experiences with her infant nephew, who was born in May of 2020. Julia would frequently go to her aunt’s apartment to help take care of him, often staying up late into the night. This encouraged her passion for infant care and women’s health.
“I always try to advocate for [women’s health] when I can. That’s something that really matters to me,” Julia said. “Being an obstetrician is a good balance between that medical side and also knowing that I’m making an impact and helping women and doing everything I can to support that community.”
Julia hopes to double major in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology and Vocal Performance, although the specifics depend on which university she chooses. Wherever she ends up, we know that the future is bright for Julia Clayton.
