Catholic School(s) attended: OLPH Scottsdale ’83 and Xavier ’87 and my children are at OLPH Scottsdale and planning on going to Brophy class of ’26 and Xavier class of ’28. Jacob and Abby are in theatre and the picture shows them in their Aladdin costumes from 2021.
Background: Kindergarten through senior in high school, I attended Catholic schools in the Phoenix area. OLPH Scottsdale from kindergarten to 8th grade and then on to Xavier for the next 4 years. Math was a breeze for me but reading was a challenge. I worked hard in grade school and at Xavier trying to keep up with my classmates. I remember in 8th grade summer school, I took a math class about how math was used in the “real world”. Mrs. Slezak taught us about compounding interest and it intrigued me. I learned that Albert Einstein called compounding interest the 8th wonder of the world. From that class, I started investing my babysitting money. During the late ’80s, certificates of deposits were earning 12% interest. With the high interest rates and compounding, I saved my money for the future business that I planned to open. At that time, I didn’t know what the business would be however, I did know I wanted to be an entrepreneur.
What impact did Catholic schools have on you? Integrity and hard work. At Xavier, my classmates were the best of the best. The daily challenges of school was tough, I persevered and graduated with my Xavier class of 1987.
Accomplishments: After Xavier, I went to UofA for two years and realized that school was too large for me. So, I transferred up to NAU where several of my Xavier friends attended and received my business degree in marketing. After graduation from NAU, I moved to California to start my career. Life with just working was a joy, I was able to help others and get paid to do it. I wanted a new challenge so while being a retail manager, I simultaneously enrolled in the masters in business program from Pepperdine University.
After graduating from Pepperdine with my MBA (Masters in Business), I was now ready to open my own business. So, at the age of 26, I started my new career. I opened my own insurance agency, Julie Jakubek: Allstate Insurance and now 25 years later, I have earned many community, local, and national awards, including Business Women of the Year for the Tempe Chamber of Commerce and Best In Company for Allstate Insurance. This month, I am celebrating 25 years in business with an event at my office in the Arcadia area of Phoenix.
Future plans: With the financial principals I learned from my math classes and the idea of compounding interest, I now volunteer my time and teach financial classes. From there, I will write about financial principals found in the bible, and continuing teaching others on how to be wise with their finances. Also, I serve several non-profit organizations and three of them focus on smart choices with money and insurance.
