Julie Fulkerson ('64, German, '75, M.A. Psychology) grew up with Cal Poly Humboldt woven into her daily life. 

Before she ever enrolled as a student, she attended College Elementary School in what is now Gist Hall, spending her earliest years learning on campus. Her father, Charles Fulkerson, was a Music professor whose legacy still resonates today through the Marching Lumberjacks’ signature flannel looks, Fulkerson Hall, and the chamber workshops he founded more than 50 years ago.

When it came time to choose a college, she had other options. Her mother encouraged her to leave Humboldt County and attend college on the East Coast. But Fulkerson chose to stay.

“I wanted to go to Humboldt,” she said. “I think I must have thought, ‘I like this place. I’m sticking around.’”

That decision shaped everything that followed.

As a student, Fulkerson found a university small enough to foster connection and broad enough to encourage exploration. She remembers small classes, close relationships with professors, and an academic experience that pushed her beyond her comfort zone.

“In those days, you were required to take a class in every single department on campus,” Fulkerson says. “I feel really fortunate that I went to school when that was a requirement. I never would have taken biology, physics, statistics, or algebra. I benefited from a broad education.”

That hands-on, wide-ranging education became the foundation for a career defined by curiosity, adaptability, and community impact.

Fulkerson began as a teacher in the Bay Area, later moving back to Humboldt, working as a counselor and helping launch a nonprofit therapy practice. She developed employment programs that encouraged participants to identify meaningful career paths rather than simply find jobs. Eventually, she turned her attention to small business, founding and operating Plaza Design for 24 years. Through her retail stores, she showcased locally manufactured products and artisan work, supported artists, created jobs, and helped revitalize downtown areas in Arcata, McKinleyville, and Eureka.

Her commitment to community extended into public service. Over more than two decades, Fulkerson served as an Arcata city councilmember and mayor, a member and chair of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, and later as mayor of Trinidad. She has also served on numerous boards focused on economic development, transit, tourism, and philanthropy.

Among her many contributions, she helped raise $1 million in minimum revenue guarantees that led United Airlines to provide service from Arcata to Los Angeles and Denver—an effort that strengthened regional access and economic sustainability. In 2017, she helped organize the Eureka Women’s March and was later recognized as Humboldt County Woman of the Year by State Sen. Mike McGuire.

Throughout it all, Fulkerson has remained deeply connected to Cal Poly Humboldt, not only as an alum but as a volunteer, advisor, and advocate. She has served as a commencement keynote speaker, volunteered with the University symphony, and worked closely with campus leaders to strengthen partnerships between the University and the community.

That connection ultimately led to her philanthropy.

Julie Fulkerson’s giving to Humboldt began with music. Through the Fulkerson Family String and Keyboard Instrument Scholarship, along with additional support for nursing, education students, and theater students, she is investing in the kind of education that shaped her own life, one that is personal, expansive, and grounded in real-world experience.

For Fulkerson, scholarships are about more than financial support. They are about connection.

“I would hope students feel that someone they probably don’t even know believes they’re taking their education seriously and is willing to invest in them,” Fulkerson says. “Not as pressure, but as encouragement. As a reason to stick with it.”

Her philanthropy reflects a belief that education should nurture the whole person, across disciplines, interests, and experiences. It also reflects a deep sense of gratitude.

“I’ve been very fortunate,” Fulkerson says. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I've also made some good choices. I have resources to give back to Cal Poly Humboldt students.”

And now, she’s paying it forward.

By supporting music, nursing, and theater students, Fulkerson is helping ensure that future Cal Poly Humboldt students have access to the same broad, hands-on learning that shaped her path. Her story is rooted in Humboldt, shaped by family, strengthened through education, and carried forward through a lifetime of service and generosity.

Join Julie Fulkerson in making a gift to support Cal Poly Humboldt students by donating to a scholarship or student program at giving.humboldt.edu/our-funds. Contact the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation at giving@humboldt.edu or (707) 826-5200 for more information.