If Jefferson City Aquatic Program Manager Julie Haupt could live at the pool, she would.
A passion for swimming, youth and the community allows her to dive into the deep end of her job.
Before Jefferson City's Ellis-Porter Riverside and Memorial Park Family Aquatic Center pools are drained at the end of the summer, Haupt holds back tears as her favorite season ends.
In March, she celebrated three years as a program manager with the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.
Born and raised in Jefferson City, Haupt has always loved to swim and visit the lake. In high school, she worked as a lifeguard and at the Washington Park Ice Arena.
"Water is my passion," Haupt said. "I joke with everyone that chlorine is my perfume in the summertime."
After earning a psychology degree in 2015 at Lincoln University, she spent nine months working with youth with psychological disorders. The job was heavy but confirmed her love of children.
Now expecting her own little swimmer, she lights up when explaining the best parts of her new career.
As program manager, Haupt oversees about 150 summer staff and lifeguards. Employees are trained in CPR and pool safety.
Her day-to-day duties include planning lessons, schedules and activities. Popular themed parties like the "Neverland" Pool Party, "Trolls" Pool Party and Hot Dippity Dog are expected to return next year, she said.
A new activity at Ellis-Porter Riverside Pool, Human Battleship, is also scheduled to return, she said. In Human Battleship, teams of three paddle canoes and toss water from buckets to sink other canoes.
She hopes to bring adult swimming lessons to the facilities soon. It "breaks her heart" when people say they don't know how to swim, she said.
For many, the pool is the best part of summer, Haupt said. That positivity is another reason she is excited to go to work every day.
"I enjoy every day of my job," she said. "Every day I come in and it's something new. I don't ever have a really planned-out day because if I try to plan it out it doesn't go that way."
When she's not working with teenagers, she's striving for the safety of patrons and staff.
"We implement rules for a reason, and people think we're just being mean," Haupt said. "I tell the staff everyone walks in with a beating heart and I want everyone walking out with a beating heart."
The rules have not steered the community away. The 2019 season was a success, she said.
The facilities began season passes last summer and have seen a good response from the community, she said. The pass cost could increase next year if the minimum wage increases, but they will remain affordable, she added. Passes for a family of four were $180 this year.
At the end of the day, if she can't make everyone happy, she can show them compassion and respect with a smile.
"Even when I'm out and I'm not in my parks and rec gear and I'm not at work, I try to take that with me," Haupt said. "You just never know when people are having a bad day."
When she takes a deep breath in the offseason, Haupt said, she enjoys bonfires and traveling with her husband, Logan.