Julia Linden

Bank Street School for Children '17

I love Bank Street so much. I owe a lot of who I am and the way I go about my life, through all the institutions I've attended, to Bank Street.

Julia Linden is a marketing assistant at Columbia Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music. She helps run marketing campaigns for artists like Harry Styles, Rosalía, and Megan Moroney. In her role, she manages project timelines, organizes fan activations, and handles budgeting and proofreading for the marketing team.

From a young age, Julia was drawn toward the behind-the-scenes aspects of the entertainment industry and the people behind an artist’s success: talent managers, agents, the teams who get a guest booked on a TV show. She pursued that interest with a music industry major at Northeastern University and internships in music PR and licensing. After she graduated, she worked on the talent team at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, greeting guests, escorting them to and from the stage, and delivering last-minute script updates to the production team, then ran auditions and coordinated partnerships with brands like Sephora and Lululemon for the Radio City Rockettes. The job at Columbia Records brought her back to the music industry where she wanted to be.

Julia credits the School for Children with fundamentally shaping both her character and approach to work. Anchored by the Bank Street philosophy of “learning by doing,” she regularly takes initiative in meetings and approaches challenges with flexibility, curiosity, and resourcefulness.

“I learned to lead with kindness and empathy at Bank Street, and I very much take that into my role now,” she said.

Even within the fast-paced and competitive entertainment field, Julia strives to bring those Bank Street practices into her relationships. That commitment has also inspired her to pay it forward by mentoring younger students who want to pursue a career in entertainment.

Looking back at her time at Bank Street, Julia’s favorite memories include performing in Rock Band, participating in theatrical productions, and taking part in eighth-grade mock Congress and mock trial, where her teachers brought in real lawyers to serve as judges.

“This teaches kids how to speak up, form opinions, and make strong arguments. It pushes you to get comfortable speaking,” she said. The lesson stuck. She went on to minor in law and public policy in college.

Her advice for current students: start building your career in high school rather than waiting until the end of college.

“Find things and make them your own! I turned a volunteer position into an internship by expressing interest. In high school, instead of writing a senior thesis, I found an internship and networked with people who could help me break into the industry I wanted to be in,” she said.

For Julia, that drive traces back to one place.

“Not every community that you’re a part of is going to be as amazing as Bank Street,” she said, “but you can take the pieces you’ve learned there with you.”

Watch more from our interview with Julia.