When Emily Fullerton graduated from Plumas Charter School in 2022, she wasn’t sure exactly where her path would lead—but she knew she wanted to make a difference. Just a few years later, the former student has come full circle, returning to PCS as a special education teacher and earning her teaching credential through Cal Poly Humboldt’s residency program.
For Fullerton, coming back to the school that helped shape her education felt like a natural fit. Having once been a PCS student herself, she understands the rhythms of the program and the supportive culture that defines it. That shared experience helps her connect with her students and form trust. “It makes it easier to form those meaningful connections because they know I’ve walked in their shoes,” said Fullerton.
Fullerton graduated with her bachelor’s degree in psychology in January 2025 from Northern Arizona University—earning a spot on the Dean’s List. Immediately after, she began the Cal Poly Humboldt one-year intensive credential program that combines coursework with hands-on classroom experience. “One of the reasons I was able to fast-track my bachelor’s degree is because of all of the classes I was able to take at Feather River College through PCS,” she said. “I was just five credits away from graduating with my associate’s when I finished high school.”
The credential program, she said, has been both challenging and rewarding. She’s learned how to apply strategies for higher-order thinking, adapt literacy and math instruction to individual learning needs and strengthen engagement through tiered systems of support. Most importantly, she’s discovered that teaching is a continual learning process—each new group of students offers fresh opportunities to grow.
Those lessons play out every day in her work at PCS. Fullerton has become a familiar and trusted face around campus, known for her upbeat approach and ability to make learning feel fun. She said one of her favorite moments this year came when students she doesn’t even work with asked if they could join her small-group sessions—just because they’d “heard it’s fun.”
Her teaching style reflects patience, flexibility and empathy—qualities she likens to her experiences with horses. She credits much of her professional growth to mentor teacher Melanie Strahm, who supports her through both PCS and Cal Poly Humboldt. Working closely with Strahm, she said, has helped her feel confident and capable as she steps into her own teaching career.
Her mother, Mandi Fullerton, has had a front-row seat to her daughter’s journey. As PCS’s registrar and a longtime member of the school community, Mandi said watching Emily return as a colleague has been deeply meaningful.
Mandi recalled wondering, years ago, if moving Emily to PCS in first grade was the right choice. Those doubts faded quickly. “The love, support and encouragement that was received from day one was a deal-sealer—we felt like one big family,” she said. Seeing her daughter now build relationships with students, families and even former teachers, she added, has been a full-circle moment. “She is doing amazing things, and we are so proud. It’s times like this as a parent that you can breathe a sigh of relief—knowing that all that stress and worry was worth it and your child is going to be just fine.”
Looking ahead, Emily plans to continue teaching in Plumas County, ideally at PCS, while pursuing a master’s degree in social work. She hopes to expand her support beyond the classroom one day, serving rural schools and private clients.
For now, she’s focused on what she loves most—helping PCS students learn, grow and feel seen. “Even if I’m not working directly with every student,” she said, “I want each of them to know that school can be a positive place and that they have someone who believes in them.”