University of the Ozarks alumna Sharla (Goates) Fultz ’02 of Clarksville will receive the 2026 Alumni Merit Award for meritorious work on behalf of the University during Homecoming 2026.
The award will be presented during the Alumni Awards Ceremony on Friday, Oct. 16, in the Rogers Conference Center.
Fultz is a dedicated educator who has spent 25 years serving the Clarksville School District. She is currently a district gifted and talented enrichment teacher, GT coordinator, and elementary interventionist. She was recently named a Top 15 finalist for the 2027 Arkansas Teacher of the Year award.
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Ozarks in 2002, Fultz went on to earn a TESOL master’s degree from Arkansas Tech University, and her gifted and talented licensure from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
Outside her classroom, Fultz serves Clarksville Elementary School as family & community engagement facilitator and coordinates the daily Cub Cam student news broadcast. She also coaches 4th and 5th grade quiz bowl, serves as a model educator for “Beyond the Park” and was previously invested as president of three Clarksville High School parent clubs.
She is the 2025-2026 Clarksville School District Teacher of the Year, and her team earned the 2025 Arkansas Department of Education Act 56 Award for their outstanding gifted program.
A passionate advocate, Fultz shared her “Choose Happiness” platform statewide as Mrs. Arkansas and was voted Miss Congeniality at both Mrs. Arkansas and Mrs. America. As a Nourish the Children ambassador, Fultz leads a global initiative that has provided nearly 68,000 meals to malnourished children.
Sharla and her husband, Josh, have been married for 25 years. Her son, Rhett, is a junior cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and her daughter, Analeise, is enrolled at U of O where she plays volleyball and is pursuing an elementary education degree.
For more information about Homecoming Weekend 2026, please visit https://ozarks.edu/alumni/homecoming/
Topics: Alumni