Thursday, April 16, 2009

VERO BEACH — She can run a marathon, perform a marine mammal necropsy, teach a class to would-be vets and win a beauty contest title.

For Vero Beach resident Dr. Juli Goldstein, 31, it’s all in a day’s work or play and this high-achieving, good-natured veterinarian and medical manager at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute juggles it all with community-minded enthusiasm and a handy tube of lipstick.

Last month Goldstein was named Ms. Southeast Florida 2009 by The Florida United States Pageant selection committee and on May 3 will compete in the 2009 Ms. Florida United States Pageant in Ormond Beach.

The “pageant with a purpose” has raised more than $39,000 for breast cancer awareness and if she is crowned, Goldstein also will work to educate the public about her field of marine conservation.

“I hope to get an opportunity to get out the word about the things that are affecting animals like dolphins that are at the top of the food chain and getting them sick in the Indian River Lagoon.

“I’m passionate about what I do. Being a vet was all I wanted to do and winning this pageant would be another forum for me to bring awareness to the marine environment,” Goldstein said.

Although she competed in beauty pageants when she was younger, Goldstein said she was particularly drawn to The Florida United States Pageant because it promotes volunteerism.

“This pageant focuses on the need to give back to the community and that’s important to me and what got my attention and drew me into it. It’s all about living life, but I’m a girly-girl too and I like to look good,”Goldstein said, admitting she “still has her lipstick on” even when performing marine mammal autopsies.

The Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine graduate will also run her first Boston Marathon next week in her former home state.

“It’s been a life-long dream and I qualified,” Goldstein said.

By Barbara Yoresh, TCPalm.com