Southern Fall/Winter 2022

Meaghan Fulco’s memories of New York City
begin at around age five.
“I have very vague memories that are probably just prompted by photos.
My parents really loved coming to the city. We began visiting more often
when I was in high school,” she recalls, when her father’s work brought him to
the city.
She knew she’d be comfortable in New York and loved what the city
had to offer. Fulco, a Birmingham native and former international studies
major, now works at the Council on Foreign Relations. Her time at
Birmingham-Southern helped tailor her education to her goals.
“I loved traveling and being exposed to different cultures. When I pursued
international studies, I had no idea where that could possibly lead. But I’d
certainly thought about a career in foreign service,” Fulco says. “I loved New
York City, even back then. My first interim involved coming to New York. My
goals were focused around getting to New York, and I was fortunate to find a
career that aligned to my interests.”
Fulco moved to New York in January 2004.
“What attracted me to New York at 23 was the idea that the world is right
outside. That always felt special to me,” Fulco says.
She still loves living in New York, where she resides with her husband and
daughter in a fifth-floor walk-up. Her family enjoys rainy-day trips to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, picnics with friends in Central Park, and access to
Broadway shows, though they often visit Birmingham.
“I love raising a kid here. From the moment she came into the world, her
world has always been a melting pot,” Fulco says. “She has friends whose
families are from all over the world, and her viewpoint has always been
really broad because of where we live.”
“I love New York for its openness, and I think it can model what our
country can look like as far as accepting everybody,” she adds. “That’s what
drew me to New York.”
I LOVE NEW YORK FOR ITS OPENNESS,
AND I THINK IT CAN MODEL WHAT OUR
COUNTRY CAN LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS
ACCEPTING EVERYBODY.
Eighteen years later, New York’s vibrancy and the access it offers still
hold special appeal for Fulco. Catching the ferry to Governors Island is a
family favorite for weekend jaunts and holiday excursions.
“It’s a perfect way to spend the day. You’re still in the city, and the views
are amazing,” she says. “You have this moment where you’re like, ‘Wow, this
is where I live.’”
MEAGHAN FULCO ’02
FALL/WINTER 2022 / 39