Julia Edwards
House: Morrow
Year: 2015
Major: Computer Science
How did the Boston Marathon go?
It was incredible. The best part was definitely the energy and support of all of the spectators. My goal was just to finally cross that finish line, and I feel as if I exceeded that goal. I had the best run of my life.
Last year you decided to run the Boston Marathon to honor your brother. What made you decide to run again this year?
I decided to run this year because the bombings really affected me. Wellesley is my hometown, and it’s also the halfway point of the Marathon. In the 2013 Marathon, I was stopped at one of the most iconic points along the route – at the corner of Hereford St. and Boylston St. When everyone who didn’t get to finish last year was offered a bib number in this year’s race, I didn’t have to think about it. This year, as much as I finished for John, I was running for the same reason that everyone else was running – for Boston!
Now that you’ve completed the Boston Marathon, are you going to keep running?
I’m a little sad that it’s over, but I’m pretty certain that this won’t be my last marathon. And I’d love to talk to anyone on campus that is interested in training for a marathon!
If running the Boston Marathon wasn’t impressive enough, you’ve also recently started a new org on campus. What are your hopes for “Smithies in Computer Science”?
“Smithies in Computer Science” is a student interest group for Computer Science (CS). I was inspired to start it mainly because of the huge gender gap in the tech industry. We encourage anyone interested in CS to join, regardless of major or minor. Our main goals are to encourage more Smithies to take CS classes, pursue internships and research opportunities, and communicate and connect outside of the classroom.