Julia Carrano

Julia is a high school honors graduate from Manahawkin, NJ. She is currently in college studying Psychology and hopes one day to obtain her postgraduate degree and become a mental health therapist working with teens.

As a survivor of treatment-resistant depression, the current youth mental health crisis is near and dear to Julia’s heart. She hopes to ‘smash the stigma’ surrounding mental health and share her story with young people throughout the state to help them understand ‘it’s ok to not be ok’ and that kindness counts. She has worked alongside peer groups and currently volunteers as a trained crisis counselor with the National Crisis Text Line.

Inspired by her grandfather, Julia founded her non-profit, Hearts 4 Hearing in 2019. Through her website and community outreach efforts, Julia collects hearing aids to support the state’s Hearing Aid Project.  Donated hearing aids are refurbished and provided free-of-charge to recipients who could otherwise not obtain them due to cost. Since 2019, Hearts 4 Hearing has received over $1,000,000 worth of donations and has helped hundreds of people regain their hearing and quality of life. Julia has had the opportunity to consult with other organizations seeking to utilize Hearts 4 Hearing as a business model for similar programs in their area.

As a child, Julia grew up on Long Beach Island. When Hurricane Sandy destroyed her home and crippled her school, she moved with her family across the bay to Manahawkin. Julia was inspired to dedicate herself to community service by the overwhelming support her own community received in the aftermath of the storm. She’s had many opportunities to volunteer and fundraise with charities, including the Special Children’s Committee, David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation, the Michael Lorenzi Philanthropic Fund, and food and clothing drives.

Julia is an avid music lover. In addition to being part of her therapeutic journey, music also influenced Julia’s 7-year career as a competitive dancer. Her compassion for those who can’t hear music was integral to her founding Hearts 4 Hearing. She’s been playing the alto-saxophone since the age of 9 and has recently started learning the guitar. In her free time, Julia enjoys going to concerts, hiking and spending time at the beach.

Julia believes you should never give up on your dreams or yourself no matter the circumstances. She’s honored to serve as Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2023 and hopes that her journey to the crown will demonstrate an example to always pursue your passion and that anything is possible.

Fun Facts

  • I am a member of the National Honor Society and graduated in 2022 with honors from Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, NJ.
  • I’m a huge animal lover and have always had pets. Currently, I have two labradoodles, a 30-year-old african grey parrot, a parakeet and a leopard gecko.
  • When I was 12, I taught myself American Sign Language. I was the Vice President of the Sign Language club at my high school and signed the national anthem alongside the band and choir at our homecoming football games.
  • I started taking dance classes at the age of 3. Outside of school, dance was the biggest part of my life growing up. I was on the competition team and danced multiple genres including jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, lyrical and hip-hop. My favorite is tap!
  • I love going to Broadway shows and have seen my favorite, Kinky Boots, multiple times.
  • My favorite holiday is Halloween.
  • My non-profit’s website, hearts4hearing.org ranks at the top of internet searches on how to donate hearing aids in NJ. We currently receive $5,000- $10,000 worth of donations each week to support the NJ Hearing Aid Project.
  • I live with TRD (treatment-resistant depression), and I want every young person to know there is always hope and we are not defined by our challenges.
  • I have one sibling, my older brother who is a Blackhawk helicopter Crew Chief in the US Army.

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