the family has been transformational to the University you really take a huge
university like ASU and their involvement shrinks it to that personal
individual connection and they do that not only through giving not only through
their financial support but through their time there's no more passionate
advocate for the full schools than IRA himself and it starts at E2 Camp okay
that's our three-day two-night camp up in Prescott we have ten of those camps
every year right before school starts on the second day of camp we have lunch
where IRA comes you know meets a group of students that meets the entire camp
talks about his experiences I went up to E2 camp and that's the first time I got
to actually meet IRA and so almost immediately you could feel that
connection with him I've had so many opportunities like the Fulton student
council and through E2 camp and through so many other like opportunities
that just exist at ASU and I know that they are here in the Fulton schools
because of IRA at almost every single event or a bigger event that I've been
to that has involved the Fulton schools I've seen IRA at every year I can't I
don't think I can count how many times that I know that he's around on campus
participating in different activities kind of sharing his experience and love
for engineering and really showing his passion for helping students and
ensuring that they're succeeding the Fulton family gift has changed
engineering education at ASU it's beginning to now impact change in
engineering education around the country and now it's put to college to Fulton
schools in the position we want to change the Valley we want to change the
landscape here we want to change the economy we can do it or the largest
college of engineering in the country and when we look back we will point at
that gift as the enabling force there's a college of education we're also trying
to think about what is next-generation education look like we want to be able
to be inclusive and we want to be able to practice what we preach around the
ASU charter and so this has been a huge opportunity for our students who often
don't come from means to be able to come into the field
of education and really be the the next generation of who educators are going to
be I can assure you the Fulton family name is going to be known for
generations to come this family is very special to this
institution and not only have they made their substantial transformational
investments but they've been part of all of this they've engaged with students
engage with faculty engage with university of leadership and that's
truly what a philanthropist does it's not just writing the checks it's being a
part of the life of the institution ASU is a world-class research university at
the same time deeply committed to the community because the Fulton family a
local homegrown multi-generational family decided to stay connected to us
to help this institution to be successful I've said a lot that
universities are not a function of the faculty or the leader there are not a
function of anything other than the community does the community support the
university helped build the university helped advance the university helped
modernize the University and the Fulton's are the premier family helping
us to evolve this institution IRA and his family are really driven by the
success of children the success of the community the success of Arizona and
IRA's full immersed participation has made the school what it is today
scalable large high speed innovative and deeply committed to the success of kids
I'm the 11th child I was born when my mother is 44 my dad was 56 so I was a
late comer everybody was 10, 15, 20 years older than I was I had learned he had to
share I love my dad so much and I'm just grateful I had him so was he and my mom
were great examples to our family they taught us to be honest work hard and be
dedicated and loving my dad has set an amazing example as an individual as far
as a philanthropist we couldn't be more proud of the things that he's
accomplished the things that he's wanted to do it's working with him for this
past 37 years it seems like it's what are we gonna do how much money could we
make so I can give something away my mom she was always so sweet to make sure I
felt self-confident was so sweet Mary Lou Fulton was you know she's the one
who taught me to to love nature and to have empathy and love in your heart and
not be critical and hard and harsh my mom had a real strong feeling about
teachers and teachers are the first ones there on the front lines they're the
ones that have to teach these kids what direction they want to go she'd love
kids to learn how to read and she wanted everyone to have the opportunity on how
to read so to her it started right there with the teachers teach these kids not
only to read but to love reading I am so thrilled and so feel so honored to be
part of a issue when I grew up in Tempe in eighth eighth and Mill and Lynn in my
little mother's cafe there and just down two blocks is that Engineering College
of a name on it gives me goosebumps you know but the more important thing is
what comes out of it because the name on a building or them means nothing it's
it's a product that you need to develop and our product is education
to be a part of President Crow's vision what he wants this university to become
and what he has done in the last decade and a half is truly amazing and again I
feel honored to just be a part of it and I feel like a protector
I feel like that I'm here to see the vision through Michael is a very special
man to me and he knows that I just think the world of him and but he said I read
he says I can get I said I'll tell you this if we have a great engineering
college we'll have a great community and we'll have a great state well you know
that sounded good but and and I want to believe it but it's all happened
we had thirty seven hundred and seventy kids graduated I've been sharing 87% had
jobs by the time I graduated 75 percent stayed in Arizona that's it I could
return on our investment I would hope that people would remember the Fulton
family as a family that was giving and will continue to give I hope that we've
instilled that in our children that they will continue on the legacy of giving to
ASU and to education as a whole I think that it's just probably one of our
that's our big legacy to ASU and I'm proud of it
I have never forgot in Tampe where I came from and I just know that if I can
help any child any time to help him I want to do it I came in this world with
nothing I like to leave this world knowing that I've done a good job and a
good job is knowing I got boys and girls on scholarships forever