Haley Fullerton ’20 on Confident Communication and Maintaining her Davidson Village
March 12, 2025
- Author
- Caroline Roy ’20
The connections and skills Haley Fullerton ’20 built at Davidson have carried her through many chapters of post-grad life, including a two-year stint teaching English in Madrid and the launch of a marketing career in New York City. She finds pockets of the Davidson community everywhere she goes and recently decided to get involved back on campus as part of her 5th reunion committee.
A competitive swimmer and aspiring writer who grew up outside of New York City, Fullerton knew she wanted to go to college somewhere warm and far from home. After meeting Davidson’s swimming coaches and visiting campus, she had no doubts about where she wanted to end up.
“I was drawn to Davidson for its small-classroom environment,” she said. “It pushed me to be more self-sufficient, ready to be called on and tested.”
An English and Hispanic Studies double major, Fullerton learned to appreciate stepping outside of her academic comfort zone, raising her hand in math class and communicating clearly with professors and mentors. Teaching abroad after graduation, she relied even more heavily on her ability to connect with people of various ages, cultures and backgrounds. When she wasn’t teaching, she travelled extensively across Europe and Asia.
Haley Fullerton ’20 and boyfriend Joe Jamison ’18 in Valencia, Spain
“Davidson prepared me to get comfortable in so many different situations and environments,” Fullerton said. “Getting to practice that on my own really built up my confidence.”
The summer before her second year in Spain, Fullerton found a copywriting position in New York City with the help of fellow Davidson alums Claire Biggerstaff ’19 and Kelly Hyman ’20 and their established connections in the area. She started work as a summer intern with Qnary, a talent branding organization, and joined their team full-time after returning home.
“In my current role, I get to talk to leaders in a ton of different industries,” she said. “Davidson prepared me to hold my own in conversations with people much older and with much more experience.”
Her network in New York is full of Davidson friends, old and new, but the last time Fullerton saw most of them together on campus was at the Class of 2020’s make-up graduation in 2022. Reconnecting with some of her favorite people in the place where it all began, she felt excited for future reunions.
Davidson Class of 2020 friends (from left to right: Olivia Stanley, Brooke Allen, Abby Miller, Rose Botaish, Haley Fullerton, Emma Blake and Ally Bedell).
When her good friend Rose Botaish ’20 asked if she’d want to serve on the committee for their 5th reunion, Fullerton said yes.
“I liked the idea of being involved in such a tangible way,” she said. “Reunion is all about the people you don’t get to see but have such fond memories with. Being on the committee and getting excited about it makes me want to be involved in other ways moving forward.”
As she continues building her career and life in New York City, Fullerton intends to stay connected with the love of learning she developed at Davidson. An avid reader and creative writer in her spare time, she’s thought about applying to MFA programs in the coming years.
“It’s nice to know that wherever I end up, there will be a Davidson village to support me,” she said.
