Alumni Profile: Allison Fultz ’16

Like many students, Allison Fultz ’16 didn’t know what she wanted to major in when she first arrived on Marietta College’s campus. “I was thinking about teaching, but I also liked my Psychology classes,” she says. She eventually chose Psychology, but her two passions came together and today she is an elementary school counselor in the Prince William County School District in Virginia.

“You get to do so much fun stuff. You are a pseudo-teacher and a pseudo-administrator,” says Allison, who started in the school system in 2019. “The relationships you build with the kids is what makes my job so special. Some days are really tough, but some days you have a breakthrough with a student, or a kid thanks you for being the only person they know who believes in them. That makes what I do so amazing.”

Allison was involved in many aspects of the Marietta College community during her four years. She rowed crew, was a member of Alpha Xi Delta sorority, gave campus tours to prospective students and participated in Pioneer Pipeline — a program that matches students with disabilities with a Marietta student. As a mentor, Allison was able to provide job, academic and social recreational coaching.

“I was only able to do it for a few semesters, but I loved it and it was my first glimpse of working with students in school and building those relationships,” she says.

Allison’s job is never dull. She splits her time between small group counseling sessions, individual counseling sessions and classroom lessons.

“I use a lot of the knowledge I gained from the child development and psychology classes in my job,” she says. “Without that background I think it would be very difficult. It really taught me how to get on a student’s level.”

One element of her job that she enjoys, but didn’t know she would be doing, is the special assignments she collaborates on with a colleague.

“It is things like Red Ribbon Week, Career Day and Kindness Week. You get to make it how you want it to be. You choose the things that will be fun for the kids,” Allison says. “I love being at a school where I can work with a team.”

She feels the same about her time at Marietta, where she worked closely with her professors and classmates.

“I was struggling in a class, and I remember going into Dr. (Ryan) May’s office and I told him I was struggling,” Allison says. “He walked me through what I could do to help with study skills, and he offered me the support I needed. After that, I was able to bring up my grade and pass the class. I just loved that aspect of Marietta College.”