Home is where the heart is
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Alumnus: John Fulton
College of Business
Pursuing: Bachelor of Science, Healthcare Management
Anticipated Graduation: Fall 2009
Campus: Savannah
Twenty-year-old John Fulton hails from Manning, South Carolina, a small southern town not far from the banks of the Santee River. Family, friendship, Friday night football, and the annual Striped Bass Festival are some of staples the locals cherish.
“I love my hometown. It was a great place to grow up, and my parents taught me early on the great importance of being my own person and following my dreams. In a small town, peer pressure can be great, and that makes me all the more thankful that my parents taught me I always had a choice in my future. They guided me with very traditional values along the way.”
John grew up with a mother who was a minister and a respiratory therapist and a father, serving as a sergeant major in the U.S. military.
“It can be hard leaving that familiar place we love, but in the big picture I realized the only way to see my goals become a reality was to get outside my comfort zone, and go do it.”
John chose South University for the Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management program. “As soon as I got here, I really felt like the courses suited my personality.” John quickly acclimated to the Savannah campus and to help work his way through school, became a resident assistant at the university’s student housing facility. “Living in Savannah is a completely different experience. It takes a lot of courage sometimes to try something you’ve never done before.”
As a resident assistant at South University’s largest campus, John admits that he loves encouraging young students who look to him for guidance while they are living and studying, sometimes far away from home.
“Being homesick is a common issue that many college students face, but I try to encourage others through my own experience. I’ve learned to put my feelings aside and concentrate on the work I have before me. It means a lot to me to succeed. And I’ve realized that I’m capable of achieving a lot more than I ever thought I could when I was back home.”
In addition to John’s work as a resident assistant, he is a full-time student, and continually sets high standards for himself, making the President’s List for exceptional scholarship.
“One thing I’m learning to do for others is to listen, and to try to understand where they are coming from. I tell them about the struggles I’ve faced, and I want them to know that whatever they are going through may not be so unusual. I want new students to know that we all face challenges, but with the right amount of determination we can succeed and achieve things we might have never imagined.”