Meet Raleigh Mom Julie Stallman

Oct 27, 2020 | Meet-A-Mom

Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?

I’m a military brat so we moved around a lot, but I was born in Connecticut, and went to high school and college in Virginia. My husband Chris and I moved to Cary, NC in 1998.

Children and Ages?

Ryan, 21, and Kelsey, 18.

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

That I’m an introvert.

Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?

Of course our families, especially my two sisters Jill and Laurie. I can be super real with them about parenting challenges and just the inherent struggle of being a mom and wife, and know it will be OK and they will still answer the phone the next time I call.

Also, I wouldn’t survive this journey without my close friends; the ones who I met 20 years ago and who were figuring out young motherhood at the same time as me, the friends who were in the thick of it with sports and carpools and homework and ALL the things at the same time that I was, and the ones who have been a sounding board and shared their experiences over the last few years as my kids became young adults.

Favorite things to do with your kids?

When Kelsey is home (she’s in college at the University of South Carolina), she’s usually super busy so I carve out whatever time with her I can. We both love musical theater so catching a show at DPAC is one of our favorite things to do together.

Ryan’s a homebody, but we like to go out for lunch together somewhere in Cary once a week (when it’s not a global pandemic).

When they were little, our favorite place to go as a family was the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, and we definitely took advantage of all the parks and playgrounds that Cary has to offer.

Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!

I am the founder and publisher of the website TriangleSeniorYear.com, a resource for high school seniors and their families in our area. You can find articles, tips, tools and information about senior year events and celebrations as well as the college application process on our site. Plus there’s information for underclassmen too.

What does this community mean to you/How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?

My husband and I consider Cary home (he is a military brat too). When we moved here it was a very deliberate choice –the location and quality of life seemed like it couldn’t be matched. And while it’s grown tremendously, for the most part it’s been measured and reasonable. Prior to moving to the Triangle in 1998, the longest I had lived anywhere was 4 years! It’s hard to believe we’ve now been in Cary for 22 years. Ultimately, the Triangle is where I watched my kids grow up, found community through school and sports, and met my closest friends.