Alumni Spotlight - Bill Fulton

In his own words

Success in life is the product of tools brought to the task.  They include technical and people skills, a plan, and most of all, the desire to achieve. When I arrived at Everett Junior College (EvCC) in the fall of 1964, I had desire and little else. Sadly, I was missing the other ingredients. I was on a five inch growth spurt, had acute acne, and low self-esteem. I brought a 1.89 grade point average from high school and a recommendation from the counselor to join the Army.

EvCC provided the venue to acquire and hone academic skills. Small classes taught by interesting instructors were an integral part of the catalyst of change. They included remedial English. This, combined with a diverse student body, including veterans and adults competing with recent high school graduates, changed my life. The importance of education became apparent. A picture developed of future action and I grew in the environment.

The next step was the privilege of transferring to Western Washington State College (Western Washington University). EvCC had prepared me well: I made the honor roll twice at Western and it brought tears to my mother’s eyes. I became a ski instructor and gained more people skills. My social status changed and I found Deryn, the love of my life. 

A plan of becoming a certified public accountant, business owner, community leader, and family man was born. It would become the template guiding the direction of the rest of my life. The ground work for success had been laid; I had a passion to improve. 

After graduating from Western, I was drafted. I qualified for officer candidate school and earned a commission as an infantry officer. What followed was 10 years of educational and professional experiences leading to the formation of W.A. Fulton Certified Public Accountant in the City of Snohomish in 1978.

The accounting practice afforded me the opportunity to participate in civic activities. I joined the Chamber and served as President. In 1990, I was elected to the city council and this resulted in some critically important assignments. One was to represent the city at the Snohomish County Visitor's Bureau. The bureau had greater aspirations and spawned today's Snohomish County Tourism Bureau.   

Currently, I am active on the design committee building the new Snohomish School District Aquatic Center. I am also chairman of the steering committee working with the City of Snohomish to build the Pilchuck Bird Sanctuary.

EvCC continues to be a part of my life plan. In 1999, I returned to EvCC to acquire Spanish language fundamentals. This skill facilitated a move to South America in the year 2000. During that year, my son, Chris, attended seventh grade in a Spanish-only language school located in Rocas de Santo Domingo, Chile. And, in 2011, I returned to EvCC to participate in the business accelerator course hosted at the Monroe campus.

EvCC has been, and continues, as a rich resource in achieving a successful life.

Alumni ad published 1/14/2013