Joyful Vocation

an interview with Julianna Baker-Cohen

by Cate Clother

* Transcribed from a telephone conversation in July, 2020. Edited for length.

Cate Clother: Julianna, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today. I’d love to start off with a bit of history. Tell us a bit about your childhood.

Julianna Baker-Cohen: My parents moved around during my childhood. My sister was born first, my parents lived in Long Beach, California when they had my sister. Then they moved to Vermont, where they had me at home. Both me and my sister had home births with midwives. It was so special. From there we moved to Spring City, Pennsylvania. There was a tornado and I was terrified of sirens. But now I know they’re out there to help people. We moved to Kimberton, Pennsylvania, while my parents were still together. I went to Beaver Run [The Camphill School] and my sister went to the Kimberton Waldorf School. I was supposed to go there too, but they couldn’t accept me because I have Down syndrome. I went to Beaver Run [The Camphill School] instead and I had the best education ever there. I met amazing people and I had the best teachers.

Cate: When were you first interested in getting a job? What did you want to be when you grew up?

Julianna: I wanted to be a barista since I was 14. I told my dad “I want to be a barista!”  I didn’t want to be a doctor or a teacher or a veterinarian. I just fell in love with coffee when I was fourteen. I didn’t know anything about coffee before that. 

Cate: Have you ever felt limited in the kind of work you could do?

Julianna: I have Down syndrome. Growing up, my sister had tons of friends, and when she would go hang out with them I would ask “Can I come?” and she would always say, “No.” I was bummed because I didn’t have lots of friends back then, you know. That hurt me. And then when my parents got divorced, that hurt me too, that was really, really hard on my whole family. And with my having Down syndrome, everything was even harder. And I have anxiety too. I think about when my parents were together, and now they’re divorced, but they still love me, they want the best for me, and that’s all that matters right now. They’re both happy, you know. I try to feel positive about it. 

Cate: What was your first job?

Julianna: [While I was at Beaver Run] I had an internship when I was fourteen or fifteen at Kimberton Whole Foods. I worked stocking shelves. That was a good experience. That was a long time ago! I felt great, I was a teenager back then, I didn’t get paid but it was good for me to have that experience working with people I grew up with in Kimberton and just bonding with people.

I also volunteered at the [Camphill Village Kimberton Hills] CSA for a while, that was really fun. I enjoy outdoor work. I washed lots of vegetables, I got dirty and I loved it. I love working on farms with cows, milking cows, getting stinky, it’s very therapeutic for me! 

Cate: After you left The Camphill School, you moved to Camphill Soltane in Glenmoore, PA. What have your work experiences been at Camphill Soltane?

Julianna: I worked in the herb garden with Kathleen Bailey, that was amazing, she’s a great teacher, and that really spoke to me. Outdoor work means a lot to me. Getting outside, getting my hands dirty, living in the moment. I worked in the weavery, that was really fun too. Speaking of weaving, I have a loom right now, in my bedroom. It’s not set up yet but it will be! Lauren Prince [from Entwine Textile Design] is going to help me set it up. It’s a good thing for me to work on during quarantine.

Cate: When did you first work in a coffee shop?

Julianna: Well, I first started working at Soltane Café [in Phoenixville, PA] with Ryan Hagen. I saved the day once and he was really happy that I did.

Cate: [Laughs] How did you save the day?

Julianna: I came in and washed a lot of dishes! It’s part of the job, so I did it! [Laughs] I made people coffee drinks, he helped me learn the espresso bar. After he left, Peter Mike-Mayer [continued to] train me on the barista bar. That was amazing, he was so good at it! He was a great mentor to me. I had the best education and it was eye opening for me.

Cate: Along with coffee, Soltane Café also has a great bakery! Do you ever work as a baker? 

Julianna: I do love baking, that’s one of my hobbies, but it’s not my expertise. For a while I was working the cash register with a job coach, but that’s not really my skill set, so I’m not doing that anymore. I know what’s good for me, and working on the espresso bar really feels good to me because I can really focus on and build my coffee skills. I love it and it’s really fun. 

Cate: What are some of your favorite things to make as a barista?

Julianna: I like everything! I like americanos, that’s my favorite drink. I like to make cappuccinos and cortados too!

Cate: You also make a really good chai.

Julianna: Ah well thanks!

Cate: Along with Soltane Café you also work at Steel City [café], right?

Julianna: Yes, I’ve been working at Steel City for a long time. I did night shifts at shows for a while. I’m also a barista at Steel City, and I do other stuff like cleaning the bathrooms, I make sure everything is restocked. I love it, I love my job. When I work, I work. I don’t play. 

I also volunteer in childcare at the YMCA in Phoenixville.  I like working with kids with special needs, and I love being around kids in general. I play with them and make sure they behave! [Laughs]

My cousin Rachel, who recently passed away, she also worked with kids. So whenever I work with the kids at the Y, I think of her.

Cate: Tell us about your work as a visual artist.

Julianna: Sure! I was working at the Wooden Spoon Café [in Phoenixville, PA] for a while, and when that shut down, I walked into the Seven Stars Tattoo Shop across the street and I told them I lost my job. And they said, “Can you draw?” I said, “Yes!” And that’s when I got the opportunity to design my tattoos. Whenever anybody gets my tattoos, I get paid!

Cate: How can people see your work?

Julianna: I do all my drawings in books, and I take my books up there. I have flash up there too! When people want to get my flash, I get the money and I spend it on myself!

Cate: What are some of the drawings you’ve done for tattoos?

Julianna: I’ve done lots of hearts, flowers, dolphins, skulls, rainbows, peace signs, suns, and random animals. 

Cate: Along with your visual art, you’re also a poet! 

Julianna: Yes. I decided to write poetry when my parents split, when I was fourteen. I like writing poems because I can express myself. I don’t really write about my anxieties because that’s personal to me. Whatever else comes to me I put it down on paper. Both my parents are writers, so I have that in my family. I’m glad I can experience writing myself. I just like poetry because it’s amazing. 

As I write it, whatever comes to my mind, whatever experience I have, I write it down. If I have a title that sticks out to me I put that down, and then I relate to that title, I add more words. I just love writing, it’s a good outlet for me. 

Cate: When did you start performing your poetry?

Julianna: When I was fourteen, at Steel City. Steel City saved my life. I’m thirty-one right now. [Steel City’s] Open Mic Night is an opportunity for people like me to shine in their community. It’s a place for people to express themselves. It’s like a home away from home for me. It’s a good community for people to express themselves and their art and their skills. They have really good food, the best beer and coffee. I do poetry–my original poetry. I’m actually in the process of publishing my poetry right now. 

When I’m up on the stage and reading my poetry, it feels really good. I’m a young lady in my own community. People are cheering me on and clapping. 

Cate: Tell us more about your community of Phoenixville!

Julianna: I live in an apartment complex with my housemate, Betsy, in downtown Phoenixville, where I am supported by Parzival. I work in Phoenixville, too! I love working. Working is one of my passions. I love being a worker. I focus, I don’t play around. When I work, I work. It’s my happy place.

In Phoenixville I can walk from my apartment to work, and I’m so blessed I can do that. I have a lot of friends in town. Everyone knows me, I’m a celebrity! Even my mom, when people meet her they say, “You’re Julianna’s mom!”

Cate: If you could talk to a young person with Down syndrome, and you could give them some words of encouragement, what would you say?

Julianna: I would say, “If you’re eligible to work, you can get a job! If you’re living with a disability, that’s okay! You can get experience volunteering, or get an actual paid job doing what you want to do in life!” 

I’d tell them, “I don’t know how you feel about having special needs, but if you’re scared of having special needs, I can understand that.” I’m not scared of having Down syndrome per se, but I understand other people might be afraid of it. I’d tell them, “It’s okay to have special needs! It’s okay to cry about it. It’s okay. If you’re struggling, if your parents are struggling, reach out!”

Cate: What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

Julianna: I love coffee and I think that for me to grow in my career as a barista, I should continue my education around that and just grow on that. Someday I would like to find a piece of land, and I would like to have my own coffee shop on an organic farm, where we actually grow coffee beans! It would be a really therapeutic place for me, and for all people!