Meet Julia Nikol

Hi, I’m Julia! I’ve been teaching for over ten years, both in person and online, and I love helping students grow in their confidence and communication skills. I hold a B.A. in English and Russian from Cornell College and a Master’s in School Counseling (M.Ed.) from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. I’m also a licensed teacher, with specialized training in both Montessori classrooms and online education—I'm especially interested in how online teaching creates its own unique opportunities for connection and learning.

I’ve worked with students of all ages, from preschoolers to high schoolers, in cities around the world including Seoul, Taipei, and Mérida, Mexico. I’m now based in Chicago, where I continue to teach and learn from a wonderfully diverse group of students.

Outside the classroom, I love hiking, reading nonfiction (especially about economics and history), and studying languages. I speak Russian and Polish fluently, and I’ve also studied Spanish, Korean, and Chinese. I’m always curious about the world, and I bring that curiosity into my teaching every day.