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2026 International Educator of the Year
HONOREE – Julia Wilson
Julia Wilson, an educator with 25 years in the profession, currently serves as the IB Coordinator at Trinity High School, where she has worked for seven years. Prior to this role, she was an IB and AP teacher and the Social Studies Department Chair at Trinity.
Julia is the sponsor of the Trinity Junior World Affairs Council, the most active JWAC in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Her JWAC hosts a weeklong Trinity Culture Week with activities for students daily.
Her dedication to education has been recognized in multiple ways: in 2013, she was awarded the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year; in 2019 she was selected as a national delegate for the Street Law Supreme Court Teacher Institute; in 2023 she was awarded the HEBISD Educational Foundation Double Grant; and in 2025 she was awarded a spot on the Council’s UAE teacher study tour. Her principal describes her as “one of the heartbeats of our campus” and “one of the most selfless humans I have ever met.”
Julia holds an M.Ed in Educational Technology and Leadership with numerous teaching certifications, serves as part of the Council’s teacher advisory and as an AP reader for US Government and Politics, and is the proud mother of two sons and an avid fan of K-dramas.
KEYNOTE – Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan is Diplomat in Residence in the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies and International Affairs at Southern Methodist University. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2001-2003. During the critical period following the attacks of 9/11 he led American efforts to maintain relations with Saudi Arabia, enlist Saudi cooperation in combating terrorism, and advance U.S. values and interests. He was a partner in the international law firm Baker Botts L.L.P. for many years and headed the firm’s Middle East practice based in Dubai until his retirement in 2014. He is Vice Chair of the Tower Center Board of Directors and a member of the Board of Governors of the Middle East Institute and the Southwestern Medical Foundation. He is also a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a past president of the Dallas Bar Association. He has been a frequent commentator with international media including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, and the New York Times. He is a contributing columnist for the Dallas Morning News. His memoir, Desert Diplomat: Inside Saudi Arabia Following 9/11, was published by Potomac Books.
About the International Educator of the Year Award
In working directly with high schools, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth has encountered numerous educators devoted to enriching their students’ knowledge of world affairs and expanding international learning opportunities for their students. These teachers and administrators demonstrate leadership by going above and beyond their normal responsibilities.
Just as these teachers feel it is important to help their students develop a better understanding of the world, we at the Council feel it is equally important to recognize the efforts of these dedicated individuals.
.
.
Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.
Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate
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By World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth
4.6
3131 ratings
HONOREE – Julia Wilson
Julia Wilson, an educator with 25 years in the profession, currently serves as the IB Coordinator at Trinity High School, where she has worked for seven years. Prior to this role, she was an IB and AP teacher and the Social Studies Department Chair at Trinity.
Julia is the sponsor of the Trinity Junior World Affairs Council, the most active JWAC in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Her JWAC hosts a weeklong Trinity Culture Week with activities for students daily.
Her dedication to education has been recognized in multiple ways: in 2013, she was awarded the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year; in 2019 she was selected as a national delegate for the Street Law Supreme Court Teacher Institute; in 2023 she was awarded the HEBISD Educational Foundation Double Grant; and in 2025 she was awarded a spot on the Council’s UAE teacher study tour. Her principal describes her as “one of the heartbeats of our campus” and “one of the most selfless humans I have ever met.”
Julia holds an M.Ed in Educational Technology and Leadership with numerous teaching certifications, serves as part of the Council’s teacher advisory and as an AP reader for US Government and Politics, and is the proud mother of two sons and an avid fan of K-dramas.
KEYNOTE – Robert Jordan
Robert Jordan is Diplomat in Residence in the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies and International Affairs at Southern Methodist University. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2001-2003. During the critical period following the attacks of 9/11 he led American efforts to maintain relations with Saudi Arabia, enlist Saudi cooperation in combating terrorism, and advance U.S. values and interests. He was a partner in the international law firm Baker Botts L.L.P. for many years and headed the firm’s Middle East practice based in Dubai until his retirement in 2014. He is Vice Chair of the Tower Center Board of Directors and a member of the Board of Governors of the Middle East Institute and the Southwestern Medical Foundation. He is also a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a past president of the Dallas Bar Association. He has been a frequent commentator with international media including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, and the New York Times. He is a contributing columnist for the Dallas Morning News. His memoir, Desert Diplomat: Inside Saudi Arabia Following 9/11, was published by Potomac Books.
About the International Educator of the Year Award
In working directly with high schools, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth has encountered numerous educators devoted to enriching their students’ knowledge of world affairs and expanding international learning opportunities for their students. These teachers and administrators demonstrate leadership by going above and beyond their normal responsibilities.
Just as these teachers feel it is important to help their students develop a better understanding of the world, we at the Council feel it is equally important to recognize the efforts of these dedicated individuals.
.
.
Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events for students and teachers.
Donate: https://www.dfwworld.org/donate