Julia Johnson Joins Dutilh Preschool as Teacher Aide

—Published August 2021 —

Like many of the preschool staff before her, Julia Johnson first entered Dutilh Preschool’s doors as a preschool mom, got involved as a volunteer, and eventually decided to serve as a teacher aide. She joins a talented staff who are excited to welcome children back this fall into the newly renovated space.

“Julia Johnson loves Dutilh Preschool, as evidenced by the considerable time and service she has already given in the past. Her leadership helped lay the foundation for us to provide children with exceptional academic experiences while teaching them to love God, love others, and love to serve. Now she will help us build on that foundation as she works side by side with children and families every day. I am thrilled that she is joining our team!” said Rev. Tom Parkinson, senior pastor at Dutilh Church.

Preschool Director Julie Willoughby added, “We are so excited to have Julia joining our team! Her love and passion for family and the community of Dutilh is evident in her commitment to volunteer service over the course of many years. Her warm enthusiasm and great energy will be such a blessing to the children she works with. Her experience working with preschool children through Dutilh’s Children Ministry and VBS will be an asset to our team.  We look forward to the positive and lasting impact Julia will have on our preschool students and their families.”

Johnson didn’t start out intending to teach. An alum of Grove City College in Grove City, PA, Johnson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in math and computer science. She has spent most of her professional career as a software engineer, most recently working at Ivalua, Inc. Shortly after college, she had the opportunity to work at Free Markets, where she was part of the tech boom of the late 90s, had a front-row seat as the company went public, and (bonus!) met her husband, Ryan. He was from Montana, working as a database engineer for Free Markets in Pittsburgh. Love for his wife and an appreciation for Pittsburgh’s professional sports teams kept him here.

Johnson grew up in Mercer, PA. With Johnson and her husband both working in downtown Pittsburgh, they decided to raise their family in Cranberry Township so they could be closer to Johnson’s brother, who lived nearby.

The couple has three children: Anna, 16; Owen, 13; and Jacob, 9. They found Dutilh Church around the time their oldest daughter was born.

“I started looking for churches, and we wanted one with a preschool. I grew up Methodist, so that was where I started. We found Dutilh and never looked back,” Johnson said. “We really wanted a church that had a preschool—I wanted our church and preschool to feel familiar, a place where Anna would be comfortable and know her way around—to be our church home.”

Johnson initially volunteered with Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Dutilh Church, then got involved with the Children’s Ministry Team. When her son Owen was a few months old, Johnson decided to stay home with her children for a few years and became an even more active volunteer. She has taught children’s Sunday school for years and volunteered with a variety of children’s ministry programs. She also volunteered at Dutilh Preschool throughout the years all three of her children attended there.

When her youngest son, Jacob, started full-time school, Johnson rejoined the workforce. She earned certification to be a substitute teacher and has worked in Seneca Valley schools. Most recently, Johnson returned to work as a software engineer. The changing landscape of the pandemic prompted her to rethink her plans.

“I realized that childcare would be an issue, and that the kids were going to be home five days a week for some of the year,” Johnson explained. She adjusted her work schedule, shifting to part-time and then to work-from-home mode. Johnson said the extra time at home caused a realization.

“These moments are precious,” Johnson said. “I like to be home when the kids are home, and it’s an opportunity to talk with them and to connect. My family is the most important thing to me.”

Johnson felt pulled to make a change, and decided to apply for the teacher aide position at Dutilh Preschool when it opened up this spring.

“I am most excited about seeing the preschool kids’ faces this fall,” Johnson said. “I love this age group and have always requested to work with them at VBS. They’re so much fun, and I loved organizing the VBS games for them and just interacting with them.”

A veteran chaperone of many Dutilh Preschool field trips, Johnson is personally hoping she might be able to return to the apple orchard. She explained, “Fall is my favorite season, and I’m hoping we are able to do the farm field trip this year. I’m also so excited for the kids to be in this new space! I want to see the kids’ faces as they observe and experience all these new things.”

Many people at Dutilh Church and Preschool already know Johnson through her volunteer service with various children’s programs. She served on the preschool board that was part of the decision to shift Dutilh Preschool toward a model that focused more on faith and helping children to grow in their love for God.

One thing people are unlikely to know about Johnson is that she holds more than one U.S. patent for work she has done on auction-bidding software. When she’s not busy volunteering at church or engineering software, Johnson says her family enjoys doing things together outdoors. They water ski, snow ski, and golf.

To find out more about Dutilh Preschool or register your child for the fall, check out https://dutilhchurch.org/dutilh-preschool-1.