“There is always a real-world application to what we’re doing in school, and everything serves a purpose. It’s about what you do with the tools you have and the skills you’ve built.”

Katie Fullerton ’24

Finding Connection Through Writing

Katie Fullerton had only been here two days, miles away from her home in San Francisco. The cross country team was participating in a preseason training run off campus at Wickham Park in Manchester, Connecticut. They were running on a trail in the woods. 

“I tripped and turned my ankle,” Katie recalls. “I’m in Connecticut with strangers, I’m totally disoriented and homesick. And these two seniors on the team — I had never spoken to them, they didn’t know anything about me, they might have known my name, might not have. I’m not sure. They stopped their run because they heard I had fallen.”

They helped carry her back to where the run had begun, most of the journey in the hot sun.

“I was just so blown away by how nice they were,” Katie says.

One was Julia Lantner ’22, the other Karishma Lawrence ’22. Julia’s sister, rising senior Rachael became one of Katie’s best friends.

If that was the opening chapter to Katie’s time here, the final chapter finds her heading to Scripps College with aspirations in the short term to become a journalist and in the long term to be an elementary school teacher who also writes short stories and fiction. 

“My Loomis experience is defined by writing,” Katie says. “It’s why I was drawn to Loomis in the first place.”

She wrote for various school publications, won a Katharine Brush Flash Fiction award, received multiple English Department honors, and took English courses ranging from Literature and the Environment to Creative Writing. As a senior, she was awarded the Norris E. Orchard Senior English Prize.

She calls herself a bookworm. 

“My grandma always has a book in her hand,” Katie says. “She’s always reading and has been my inspiration. I’ve always loved to read, always felt connected to the characters and their stories. I used to stay up at night under the covers, and my dad would always catch me.”

In the summer of 2023, Katie combined her interest in history and writing when she received a Norton Fellowship. The fellowships, administered by the Norton Family Center for the Common Good, enable selected students to pursue their interests and become more engaged with their local communities over summer break. Students must apply and, if chosen, each receives up to $1,000 to help complete the project.  

Katie created an anthology by interviewing Vietnamese women about their recollections of the Vietnam War. Katie’s mother was born in Vietnam during the war and came to the United States when she was about 7 years old. Katie’s grandfather is of Korean descent and fought for the United States in the war. He met Katie’s grandmother during his tour of duty in Vietnam.

“On a personal level [the project] allowed me to connect with other Vietnamese women and learn from their stories and feel more connected to my history as a woman, as a Vietnamese American, as a daughter,” Katie says. “It inspired me to continue to learn more about other people’s lives.”

“Academically,” she continues, “it showed me there are so many different ways to utilize the tools gained in school. There is always a real-world application to what we’re doing in school, and everything serves a purpose. It’s about what you do with the tools you have and the skills you’ve built.”

The anthology is not published. “I’m still not exactly sure what I want to do with it,” Katie says. But this she is sure of: “It will always be something I have to hold onto.” 

That and many memories from her time at Loomis Chaffee. 

“I have had a healthy balance of encouragement and challenge from my English teachers,” Katie says. “They’ve pushed me and helped me find my own voice. I’m also very grateful for all the friendships I’ve made here.”

Loomis, she says, is a busy place, filled with challenges and opportunities. Her advice to newcomers: savor the little moments. “There are a lot of moments of joy and peace,” she says looking out the window of the Katharine Brush Library. “Like right now, looking at the Meadows. So enjoy them, cherish them.”

Quick Takes

College: Scripps College

Clubs/activities/honors: The Loom, The Log, World Bulletin, Katharine Brush Flash Fiction Contest award, Writing Studio tutor, Norton Fellow, Community Engagement, Norris E. Orchard Senior English Prize

Favorite snack: Raspberries. “Sometimes my parents come home from the grocery store and there are raspberries in the fridge. They figure they have bought enough for the week, and they disappear after an hour.”

Favorite meal: “My mom makes very good Korean barbeque. I love that, and I love pasta. Pasta is my go-to comfort food. It’s consistently good. You can’t go wrong with pasta.”

Mountains or the beach? “I can't answer that. San Francisco is such a special place because you have both the mountains and the beach, and you literally have mountains that lead to the beach, so I can’t make that decision.”

Hobbies: Sewing, finding things in thrift stores and “beautifying them,” playing the piano, running, and spending time in nature. “I like to surf, but I’m horrible at it, even though I’m from California. I can hardly catch a wave, but it is so fun to fall off, so maybe it’s good that I am not good at it.”

Favorite place on campus: The swing sets at the playground by Faculty Row, especially in the spring or during fall foliage. “It’s just so tranquil and reminds me of being a little girl and swinging and taking a breath and embracing nature.”