Once a backup singer with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Vicki Calhoun is now ensconced in our Wall of Fame in recognition of the honors she has more than earned as a public servant and outstanding lifetime citizen of Fullerton. The occasion for the presentation of the award was Homecoming night for Fullerton High School, October 2.

​The Wall of Fame of Fullerton High School was established in 1980 by Assistant Principal Pat Putnam. Portrait plaques of each inductee are on display in the front office of the school. Each year, members of the community nominate distinguished alumni for special recognition, celebrating the achievements and contributions of the school’s exceptional graduates.  

​ Actually, she is Doctor Vicki Calhoun, having been awarded a Doctor of Education (Ed. D.), Emphasis in Organizational Leadership, from the  University of La Verne in 2014. This degree capped her distinguished academic career, which included a Master of Arts degree in guidance and counseling from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles; a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from San Diego State University; and an Associate of Arts degree in liberal arts from Fullerton Community College.

​Dr. Calhoun is the first African-American person elected to public office in Fullerton.

​“I cracked that ceiling of over 100 years, the combined terms of office of the trustees then in office when I first ran in 2010. I opened the door for those to follow,” Dr. Calhoun said. She was elected member of the Fullerton Joint Union High School (FJUHS) Board of Trustees in 2020 and re-elected in 2024. She has served as Executive Board Member of the Fullerton College Foundation; member of the Board of Trustees of the Fullerton Public Library; and on the Superintendent’s Advisory Board of FJUHS.

​Vicki was invited to sing with the Red Hot Chili Peppers when Flea,  the bass player, heard her with a Placentia band. Their first breakthrough record, “Mother’s Milk,” hit the charts with her as their featured background singer.  The album included  #6  on the alternative Billboard chart

“Knock Me Down”.

​Dr. Calhoun’s life has been one of self-motivation. A Fullerton resident since age 2, she lived on “the wrong side of the tracks,” and she still lives in that same house in what is known as the Maple Neighborhood.  (The location of the neighborhood school was once on Maple Avenue, which is now Valencia Avenue.) Vicky was involuntarily, along with many other children, part of the remedy for years of de facto segregation. Beginning with second grade, she was bussed to Laguna Road school.

​In addition to her civic activities, Dr. Calhoun is writing a motivational memoir for students and families.

​“And remember to get out and vote!!”