Hello!  My name is Julia Backaus and it is an honor to serve as the 7-12 School Counselor for the School District of Neillsville.  I am a Clark County native and graduated from Neillsville High School in 1998.  While in high school, I participated in serval student organizations, managed (not played :) for several athletic teams and worked at IGA.  Upon graduation, I left Neillsville to pursue my post-secondary education at UW-Madison; go Badgers! 

The following summer, I headed west to Gunnison, CO where I worked on a dude ranch and fell in love with the mountains.  I then decided to continue my education at Colorado State University where I received my B.S. in Agriculture Education in May of 2003.  I accepted a teaching position at Franklin Middle School in Greeley, CO as their Family and Consumer Education teacher.  While teaching, I pursued my graduate studies in the evenings and over the summers.  I was fortunate to obtain a counseling position my final year in the program at Greeley Central High School as the Freshman Counselor.  I graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in May of 2008 with a M.A. in School Counseling.

Upon graduation, I decided to relocate back to WI to be closer to family and friends.  I moved back to Neillsville in May of 2008 and started my 7-12 counseling career in PIttsville, WI where I served as their 7-12 School counselor from August, 2008- June, 2013.  In the meantime, I was blessed to marry my husband Eric in 2009 and become a step-mom to his two sons, Sterling and Bryce.  Eric and I have been additionally blessed wth four children together; Abigail, Jesse, Jarus and Maria.  My career in Neillsville as the 7-12 School Counselor started in the 14-15 school year, but ended after the first year when we found out #4 (which we now know as Maria) was on the way.  I was very fortunate to spend two years at home caring for our children and equally as fortunate to be invited back to the Neillsville School District for the 17-18 school year when the counseling position became open again.  I believe there is a master plan and trust that all things work out, at the right time, in the end the way they are supposed to.  Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve your children and be a part of their lives.