Julie Gourley graduated from Guelph University with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Sociology. She taught English as a Second Language in Japan for 2 years. In 2000, she completed her Bachelor of Education with a focus in Global Education at the University of Toronto, where she also later acquired her Honours Specialisation in Social Science. Julie taught for the Toronto District School Board in Toronto, Canada since 2000, and had been a Department Head of Social Science & Humanities since 2019. Julie taught in China for 1 year and joins SIS in July 2023.