Julia Ramos (26), a fourth-year commercial music major, biblical studies minor, reflects on performance, choir, worship, and friendship.
“My mom is an alum — she graduated in 2000,” Julia said. “I’m also a Nazarene pastor’s kid who grew up on the southwest field. I grew up just going to Point Loma for events.”
When it came time to apply for schools, Loma was a no-brainer for Julia. The campus was familiar and she wanted to go to a Nazarene college. The cherry on top was PLNU’s robust and active music program.
“I’ve loved music since I was little,” Julia said. “I’ve always been kind of a performer in a very amateur way, but I did a lot of music and theater in middle school and high school, and realized that I kind of wanted to go into music pretty early on in high school. I’ve been leading worship since I was 11 or 12 at church, and since then, have grown more in just the performance aspect. Music has always been something that has brought me an immense amount of joy.”
While Julia writes some of her own songs, she has an incredible amount of fun performing with her friends, singing covers.
“This past Friday, I did an Earth Wind and Fire cover band with like, 12 of my friends,” Julia said, “and we did it for homecoming in Brown chapel. And it was really silly, but it was really, really fun. That’s what I love to do the most: make music with my friends, whatever that looks like.”
“We did it for homecoming in Brown chapel. And it was really silly, but it was really, really fun. That’s what I love to do the most: make music with my friends, whatever that looks like.”
Joy is a huge driver for Julia, especially joy found in community: her church, her family, and her friends. She also finds joy in serving on campus, as an RA in Hendricks and Goodwin.
“That was such an incredible part of my time at Point Loma, I definitely learned a lot,” Julia said. “I learned how to work with a team. I learned how to be a leader in that context, which is probably one of the most interesting leadership roles you could have, because you’re living alongside the people you’re leading, while also being led by the people you’re living alongside. It’s so interesting and such a cool part of college, and something I’m really glad to have been a part of.”
Julia is also the president of the concert choir and a worship arts intern. The exact number of worship arts interns changes from semester to semester — right now there are thirteen that cycle through leading one of the four chapels every week to make their schedules feasible with classes and other responsibilities.
“It’s been really cool to get to work with the other interns,” Julia said. “We make teams of volunteers within the worship arts pool, so it’s been cool to be able to lead with them in rehearsals.”
She’s been involved with concert choir since she was a freshman, and has gotten to see how it’s grown and changed over the years. In particular, she’s had to step up as a leader this year.
“It’s a lot at times — more difficult than you would think being a choir president is,” Julia said, “but it’s also so much fun. I’m insanely proud of the choir and how much they’ve grown, even in just the semester and a half that I’ve been president.”
Dr. Dan Jackson, Choir Director and Assistant Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Public Engagement, tragically passed away in the summer of 2025. Julia, students, and alumni who have sang in PLNU’s concert choir were deeply saddened by his passing, but his legacy lives on.
“A big thing I learned from him is: strength for today, a bright hope for tomorrow, which comes from a really good hymn,” Julia said. “That’s something that I’ve carried with me. And it’s something that I’ve seen in the choir, the resilience of every member that had a really unexpected thing happen and had someone really dear to us taken from us in a way that none of us were expecting. When I talk about being so proud of the concert choir, none of us were expecting to do it this year and every year from now on without him.”
Her roles in chapel, concert choir, and resident halls have shaped her into a visible leader on campus, surprising her with the number of people who recognize her face.
“I spoke at Time Out earlier this semester, and when I got that email, I didn’t even know that people knew me well enough to submit me for this kind of thing. I’ll walk down Caf Lane and stop five to eight times to talk to different people that I know through the ways that I’ve been involved in leadership. I would want people who know my face as someone who’s a leader on campus to be like, ‘oh, she’s really nice.’ Or you know, ‘she complimented me in this way that time.’ The way that I want to be a leader is the same way I just want to live my life as someone that shows Christ’s love to people around me.”
“I spoke at Time Out earlier this semester, and when I got that email, I didn’t even know that people knew me well enough to submit me for this kind of thing.”
Julia added that there is a responsibility when you’re involved in leadership and interact with a lot of people on a daily basis.
“I always want people to be able to look at me and see the good that I’ve done rather than the ways that I’ve hurt people.”
Julia came in her freshman year with no idea, nor intention, of how much she would get involved. She had moved from California to Arizona her senior year of high school and had “one and a half friends.”
“At graduation, I’m sure I walked the stage, and everyone in the audience was like, ‘Who is that?’ I’m so glad that [things were different at PLNU] and I ended up putting myself out there and doing so many things. I’ve definitely learned a lot about myself, life, faith and all of the things that you would hope to get out of college.”
“I’ve learned what it’s like to have to cut off friendships that aren’t life-giving. I’ve learned the importance of saying no, especially as an RA — you can’t say yes to everything. I’ve learned what it takes to keep good friendships. I’ve learned my relationship with God has proven to be a two way street … Before I came into college, I struggled with not necessarily seeing God’s goodness in every aspect of my life. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have a Father who loves me. That just means that life is difficult sometimes, and to lean on His strength, rather than blaming him for the hard times in life. I see God’s provision every day.”
Julia is looking at going into ministry full-time as a worship leader in San Diego. While there isn’t anything set in stone yet, and others have more concrete plans, she is trusting that God has a plan.
“I don’t necessarily know exactly what’s going to happen, but I think it’s important to not worry as much and just rely on God, and rely on the good foundations that I’ve made here.”
