Julie Clark, class of 2000, is the recipient of the Augustana Horizon Award recognizing the rising careers of young alumni (less than 15 years after graduation). Clark graduated with a BA in business/communication. She worked for Junior Achievement of South Dakota for three years after she graduated, developing new programs across the state. Later, she worked for the Sioux Empire Housing Partnership in the new position of education director, where she promoted home ownership and financial literacy through education, marketing and community partnerships.

In the past year, Julie has fulfilled her dream of starting her own business – The Inspirational Coffee Club, which aims to enhance the lives of women worldwide through life coaching and motivational speaking. She created a website to promote the mission of the organization, wrote the book “Inspirational Coffee Breaks for Women: 12 Ground Rules for Pouring Your Heart Into Life” and developed a product line for her company. Clark has been a guest instructor at Augustana for three years in the Women in Business course offered during Interim.