Julia Zirimu

I attribute my success to my ability to transform something tragic into something positive and to give back. Fifteen years ago, I lost my son to suicide, and Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services helped me through counseling and group therapy - they literally breathed life back into me. That experience turned my life upside down, but I'm someone who likes to transform what's happened into something positive. I wanted to give back because of how much they helped me, so I started volunteering in the mental health field right away and became a trained co-facilitator for survivor groups. That's really what inspired me to look at getting into the mental health field professionally. I figured my way in was to use my previous experience as an office administrator to get into the medical field, which led me to Children's Hospital Los Angeles. I went back to school in 2022, did my bachelor's in psychology, graduated in 2024, and now I've started my master's in marriage and family therapy. I'm proud of how I've been able to navigate different fields and pivot as needed. I left the financial world, which came with major perks, and gravitated into the medical field where I had to learn all the terminologies and how things are operated differently. As I've gotten older, purpose has become so much more important to me than financial gain. I wanted to work somewhere that was more mission-driven, and I call myself a learner of life - I just like to continue learning and growing.

Being able to pivot as needed as her most notable professional achievement, is her transition from the financial field to healthcare, citing her pride in navigating a new field and finding purpose-driven work.

My advice to young women entering this field is that you can build a truly rewarding career while also remaining open to change as life evolves. It’s important to stay adaptable and recognize that your path does not have to be linear; growth often comes through unexpected transitions and new opportunities. Embrace each experience as a chance to learn, develop new skills, and strengthen your confidence. As circumstances shift, don’t be afraid to pivot your ability to adjust and grow will ultimately become one of your greatest professional strengths.

The biggest challenge I'm facing right now is balancing working full-time at the intense pace that I work while also pursuing my master's degree. I'm honestly at a crossroads trying to figure out how I can continue working at the pace that I work and go to school at the same time. I get up at 4 a.m. every morning because it's so important to me to start my day in a positive mindset I dedicate two hours to prayer, meditation, yoga, and affirmations before leaving at 6 a.m. to get to work by 7. I'm managing a complex department with five divisions, overseeing multiple calendars, supervising two admins, and handling everything from onboarding faculty to coordinating logistics. On top of that, I'm in school pursuing my master's in marriage and family therapy. I just finished my first quarter, and my estimated graduation is September 2028. I call myself a learner of life, and I'm someone who likes to work ahead and move fast, but the master's program is a guided path so I have to stick to their schedule. School is really ramping up, and I'm trying to figure out how to manage it all.

The most important values to me are being grounded in body, mind, and spirit, and working hard to make a difference in the lives of others, especially those affected by suicide. I believe it's so important to have our body, mind, and spirit aligned and connected. Whatever faith you are, I think that's so important. Exercise is important for our body - for me, it's yoga, and now I've started doing calisthenics. Meditation is important for our mind. I joke around and say sometimes we take better care of our cars than we do ourselves. I make sure to start every day in a positive mindset with two hours dedicated to prayer, meditation, yoga, and affirmations. I'm also very conscious of how I'm feeling am I stressed or overwhelmed? And what do I do to get back to homeostasis? On stressful days, I like to go on a hike and be in nature. Being able to work hard and make a difference is central to who I am. I'm passionate about helping people affected by suicide. Through my church, we started an organization called This Little Light, and we just had our first 5K walk for suicide awareness. It's groundbreaking work because churches don't talk about suicide, and I think it's important for that to come out of the darkness. Raising awareness is so important. As I've gotten older, purpose has become so much more important to me than financial gain. I wanted to work somewhere mission-driven rather than financially-driven.