chase all my dreams and I did. Sports was my thing, I was so good at, it came naturally, and I entered high school as a freshman playing volleyball and basketball and being a top player. All I wanted to do was go to college and make it to the Olympics. I was so dedicated that my dad built a basketball court and volleyball court for me and my brother and sister who were also stellar athletes and when I wasn’t school practicing, I was at home practicing. My parents told me we don’t have money for you to go to a big college so you either need to get a scholarship or stay here and work. So that’s what I did! I got a full ride to play double sports in college, which is very uncommon, but I was such a strong athlete in both sports the coaches decided to
problem and persistently work towards improving it until it was mastered. I walked into his office and sat down, and he looked at me and said, “Julie, you are not smart enough to be in college, you should drop out.” I was shocked! I always got As and Bs in high school. How could I not be smart enough? But when you’re 18 that hits you to the core, that this professor thinks you’re not smart enough to make it. Right after the meeting I called my mom, and she told me what any good mother would and said, “He was an idiot and to get a tutor.” I did and I passed college with no problem even with a learning disability of dyslexia that I didn’t even know I had until college when it was pointed out by a professor who
went something like this, “Julie how are you doing?” and it was like a movie, all the things I had accomplished in the 10 years from that moment were flashing in my head and I realized in that moment, I was smart enough, I had always been smart enough but I let this man who didn’t care about me shape my view of myself. My response to him was, “That’s Dr. Julie Ducharme and I am doing just fine.” I share that because that moment wasn’t about revenge or even proving something to him. It was me realizing my potential and realizing the only barriers that were in front of me were the ones I put there, and in that moment, I also realized I would never put barriers in front of me again. But I’ll admit, there
“Some days are so dark I can barely see the light and some days are so bright I wonder how I could have ever lost sight of the light." Dr. Julie Ducharme
let me compete in both with scholarships divided equally between the two. I remember my first month in college like it was yesterday. I was so excited to be there I couldn’t believe I made it. The buzz on campus, new people, friends, sports practices, and games, it was all I ever dreamt it would be. That is until a month in, and I received my first D ever on a paper. It was soul crushing because I’d worked so hard on it. Rather than sulk and commiserate in my own pity, I thought I’ll go and talk to the professor and see what I needed to do to improve for next time. After all, this is how I approached sports. When there was a gap in my skills, I would identify the
had dyslexia. I share that because those words stuck with me for the next 10 years. I went on and completed my masters and doctorate degrees and graduated top of my class. I became a college professor at the age of 23 and as I stated earlier was running colleges at 28. And if that wasn’t enough for me being an overachiever, I started 4 successful companies that are still running today. Many say that fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift. This could not have been truer with the gift God provided to me about a decade or so ago. I happened to be out getting frozen yogurt of all things and I ran into this professor that so many years ago told me to drop out and give up. The conversation
was a slight gleam of joy in my heart getting to say that to him after all those years.
SHE Talks
How did She Talks get started? “I remember someone telling me one time I was not a big enough celebrity to be on stage and that since I hadn't made a ton of money at that time in my life why would
anyone listen to me?" I remember thinking, wow I get paid by a college to be an
expert in a subject and teach people, but I don't have anything to contribute on a big stage because I haven't made millions yet in my life.
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