IN THE PUBLIC EYE: Julie Aranibar

Education: Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Professional Management from Nova Southeastern University
Position: Manatee County School Board member.

When it comes to making tough decisions, Lakewood Ranch resident Julie Aranibar is up to the challenge.

As a member of the Manatee County School Board, a position she assumed in November 2010, Aranibar has spent the past 15 months focusing her attention on supporting teachers and students the best she can.

Aranibar learned early on how important an education can be. When she was 10 years old, Aranibar was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The teacher who oversaw her education throughout her illness not only taught her reading, writing and arithmetic, but also inspired her to leave her poor neighborhood behind and create a better life for herself.

Aranibar left home when she was 17 years old and spent the next 12 years working her way through school to become a researcher and molecular histologist.

In 1999, the mother of two began volunteering in Manatee County schools. She chaired parent-teacher organizations, served on advisory boards and committees, raised money for schools and helped raise awareness on educational issues.

Now more than a decade later, Aranibar is continuing to help those teachers who exhibit the same enthusiasm for education as her mentor had while staying focused on her main objective: better educating students while being financially responsible.