Nicolette Fulton ’02

As a first-generation college student, Nicolette Fulton ’02 says she had “no clue about the process” of applying to college. 

“UNCW was the only college I applied to,” said Fulton. “My dad was one of the few in his family to graduate high school before he joined the military. My mom was the only one in her family to leave Greece. After moving to North Carolina from Florida, I wanted to go back to the beach. I think my exact words were ‘UNCW, that’s at the beach? OK, that’s where I’m going!’” 

While a student (criminal justice major; Spanish minor) Fulton served as president of the Association for Campus Entertainment. Through ACE, she built lifelong friendships and stepped outside of her comfort zone.  

“ACE helped me see that there was a leader deep within me...and I got to meet Beyoncé before she was Beyoncé,” she said. 

While meeting Beyoncé is pretty significant, Fulton’s favorite UNCW memory is meeting her husband Michael for the first time (in Professor Meinhold’s political science class). 

This May, Fulton was appointed authority attorney by the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, having previously served as deputy authority attorney.  

She wants to continue to grow as a leader. She is pursuing that by participating in WILMA’s Leadership Institute and finding ways to help others with their professional development. She is the Wilmington Rotary Club’s literacy committee chair and serves on the UNCW Alumni Association Board of Directors.

As a student, Fulton was a member of Phi Sigma Pi and spent time volunteering for the Child Victim Assistance Program at the district attorney's office. 

“My heart has always been in giving back to my community...I have some ideas that I hope will take off to help our fantastic kids,” she said.