Conversations with Julianna:
On the last day of the Liberty League Tournament in 2026, URochester had to defeat Ithaca to force a winner-take-all game (vs. Ithaca) for the league title. Did the players talk among themselves before the first game? Anything you can share here?
Before the games that Saturday, we talked about taking the day one game at a time. We couldn’t get too ahead of ourselves or the task of beating Ithaca twice may seem too overwhelming. By reducing it to thinking about one game, one inning, and even one out at a time, we kept ourselves focused on what we could do for the team in the present moment. This mentality was super helpful in allowing us to beat Ithaca back-to-back.
URochester won that first game, 2-1, with Maddie White throwing a two-hitter. You played a big role in the second win, hitting a grand slam HR to spark an 8-5 victory. What do you recall about that game?
Going into the tournament, I was in a hitting slump and wasn’t performing my best at the plate. Previously that day I had come up to bat with runners in scoring position and I wasn’t able to drive them in, which was frustrating because I really wanted to produce for my team and help us win the Liberty League title. So when I was able to come up to bat in a big situation with the bases loaded and hit a home run giving us a substantial lead over Ithaca, I was overjoyed. Breaking out of my slump in such a big moment was so exciting, and I was most excited that I was able to help contribute to our win.
In the last two years, you have started all 83 games (77 at third base, six catching. Do you want to catch more games this season?
I would love to catch more this season if I have the opportunity. Our catcher last year was a senior who graduated, so Coach has mentioned that I will likely get the chance to step into that role, which I am very excited about. Catching was my main position growing up, so returning to catching my senior year would be a really fun way to wrap up my softball career.
Playing at 3B brings you closer to the hitter to try and take away the slap hits by a left-hand hitter. Have you had any who feinted a slap, then swung away with you creeping in?
Yes, there have been many times when I am playing in, protecting against a bunt or a soft slap and the batter hits it past me, hard off the bat. This is actually exactly how Coach has me set up to play. My approach is to play close enough to defend against anything softly hit, forcing the batter to try to hit it past me. If the batter then decides to take a full swing, I then adjust my positioning on the next pitch accordingly.
Is that the most challenging part of playing third base?
I think the reaction time is definitely the hardest part of playing third base. When a right handed batter hits it to third, it usually means they turned on an inside pitch and likely hit it pretty hard. Oftentimes I don’t have the time to think about my footwork or approach before the ball gets to me which is challenging. This aspect is especially difficult when I am playing in to protect against a bunt or slap-hitter.
You have worked in the URMC Halterman Lab and the Fu Biochemistry Lab. What responsibilities did you have in both labs?
In the Halterman Lab, I am a technical assistant and I help collect data from the patients involved in our studies. We study how telemedicine programs can help families manage their children’s asthma, so I speak to patients and their parents over the phone to complete quarterly surveys about their asthma symptoms and experiences with medication use and telemedicine visits. In the Fu Lab, I am investigating the effects of mutations in tRNA modification enzymes and how this contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders such as epileptic encephalopathy. Last semester, I worked on validating a knock-out human cell line we had created.
Last summer, you were selected for the ‘Dfine’ medical internship in Barcelona, Spain working hands-on with patients. What did you learn at that internship?
At my internship in Spain, I learned so much about clinical medicine practice and surgery. I was able to shadow patient visits, treatments, and procedures where I learned about hair transplants, the effects of various dermatology treatments, and also how to effectively interact with patients as a provider. I got to have many of these interactions in Spanish, so I improved my Spanish comprehension and speaking skills through this experience as well. Additionally, I was able to work with various surgeons, observing and even scrubbing into surgeries, where I got to see many different types of plastic surgeries and learned about maintaining sterility, suture technique, and intubation.
You’ve spent more than 100 hours shadowing doctors at Unity Hospital, Monroe Community Hospital, and the Mary Cariola Center. Do the doctors ask for your input and observations when they are done with rounds?
When I was shadowing in the pediatric emergency department at Strong, we would see some intriguing cases where the underlying reason for their visit was unclear or their story did not add up. The doctor I was shadowing worked with the other providers to try and figure out the situation, but she would also allow me to share my thoughts about what might be going on. Although I will say, I think that is pretty unusual, as most often doctors will just ask if I have any questions about the cases we have seen that day.
You’ve been elected as a Student-Alumni Ambassador. What will you be doing?
As a Student-Alumni Ambassador, I get to participate in a variety of activities promoting the Alumni network at U of R and welcoming incoming students. Our main event each year is working Meliora Weekend, but the position also involves attending networking events, giving campus tours to alumni, staffing Welcome Week activities for incoming first year students, and more. This summer I got to work the Annual Garden Party at the Memorial Art Gallery for university leadership and other society members, faculty, and alumni, which was a super fun experience.
