HUMAN
Name: Julianne Westrich
Age: 47
Residence: Rochester, New York
Occupation: Kindergarten to third grade elementary school librarian
Years involved with Iditarod: This is my second year at the actual Iditarod, but I’ve taught about Iditarod in the classroom for more than a decade.
Iditarod Role: My role is the 2023 Iditarod teacher on the trail.
Current Location: Iditarod Headquarters, Wasilla, AK
Date of Photo: March 1, 2023
Temperature: about 15 degrees
What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?
I got involved with Iditarod through the Teacher on the Trail program in 2020, but what really got me started with Iditarod was my daughter and her absolute love of dog sledding, and she kind of pulled us along as a family and got us interested in it. When we were interested as a family, I thought my students would be interested and so I started teaching it in the classroom, which led me to Iditarod EDU and the Teacher on the Trail program.
What is your Why? Why are you here TODAY and involved with the Iditarod?
I am here today and involved with Iditarod, because I am the 2023 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail. We are here as part of the Iditarod EDU Educators conference, where we are learning about how to integrate and use Iditarod lessons in our classrooms. This is our field trip day, where we get to see the dogs.
Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences:
One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was standing on the corner of Cordova watching the dog sleds go by, eating a reindeer hotdog at the start of the 2022 Iditarod, as the snow was just pouring down and it was like being in a snow globe. It was magic.
What in life do you know for sure?
What I know for sure in life, is getting outside your comfort zone and trying hard things is totally worth the discomfort, because the experiences you have are what make life worth living.