Eli Reinberg

Julia Peacock at her desk, displaying her I <3 BSM pin.

Julia Peacock is a rather unsung hero at Benilde-St. Margaret’s. In her role as Executive Assistant, she actively works behind the scenes to ensure that things run smoothly for President Danielle Hermanny and other executives on the Board of Directors, including scheduling meetings and presenting information to them. She isn’t just supportive–she takes an active role in the community. Her behind-the-scenes work helps BSM operate more efficiently, making her an integral member of the BSM community.

“I could not be successful at my work without Ms. Peacock…She’s incredibly helpful with the scheduling piece, and then she does a lot of work for our board of directors and helps manage the logistics around that. So she’s invaluable.” President Hermanny said. Hermanny also said that she would be “late to everything” and “[Ms. Peacock] helps me focus on the responsibilities I am tasked with doing on behalf of the school.”

Peacock was originally drawn to BSM because of its reputation of providing a rigorous education to the students, and also because among the students are her two nieces, who she loves dearly. As Peacock finishes up her first full year at BSM, the things she enjoys the most about the BSM community are being around the students and their energy, as well as her coworkers. “Being around people in their teens is just a fun energy. And I love my colleagues,” Peacock said.

She enjoyed the end of the school year the most because of the excitement around the graduates and the busyness that came with it. Peacock said that she feels that she belongs at BSM “more than anywhere [she’s] ever worked.” “I just have always felt very welcomed here. I felt free to kind of talk about who I am and like what my interests are, and I’ve felt supported,” Peacock said.

Outside of school, Peacock cares deeply about animal rights. She volunteers at the Minneapolis Animal Care and Control, saying that the experience feels rewarding, although hard at times. “It is kind of emotionally difficult, just because some animals come in and they never leave. You know you see them, their lives end there, and it can be very sad. But more often than not, you’re helping connect animals with new people. So that’s very rewarding,” Peacock said. “I’m just really passionate about rights for animals, just that they deserve to be loved and respected. And I think that more people should care about the lives of animals.”