Original editor-in-chief shares Feather origins, current ventures

38 years ago, before the awards and thousands of published works, The Feather was the dream of two intellectuals. Since 1984, The Feather Online has gone on to receive seven NSPA  Pacemakers, 9 CSPA Gold Crowns along with many other awards.

As a team there have been countless lives impacted through this program and beyond. Founding member, Juli Amodei had no idea the influence that would come from her lunch time activities.

Amodei attended Fresno Christian from 1984-87 for all four years of high school. She was a model of student involvement. Amodei was on the cheer team, ASB leadership president for her grade, as well as both yearbook and journalism editor. 

When The Feather was just starting, it was not a class, but rather a club that met during lunch. Mrs. Johnson, the English teacher at the time, was the adviser for the club. Amodei was the editor-in-chief since its inception. The printing process was tedious, and required time to lay the paper out on sheets to send to Mid-Cal Publishing for print. 

The dream required long hours and dedication so that eventually it could leave the printing press and evolve into The Feather Online. 

“Of course I expected The Feather to go this far because I believe that with every grade starts with the idea that if you keep the right people behind it, they will know what to do with it,” Amodei said. “When you start something and you know it’s good it will continue.”

Amodei worked hard all through high school with the plan of going to college at Pepperdine University, an esteemed school known for its journalism and communications courses. But after a family tragedy, her plans were derailed rapidly and Pepperdine was no longer an option. 

“When you need a community the most, you see the quality of the people that are there,” Amodei said. “There were many that stepped up at that vital time.” 

She spent the first semester of her freshman year of college at Fresno State, but after a turning point, Amodei uprooted and spontaneously moved to Santa Barbara. She valued academics and trusted that God had a plan for her.

“We have to remember that education is a gift, one that we sometimes get to pursue by assistance,” Amodei said. “But others have to do hard grit work.”

It took six years for Amodei to get her degree in communications and public relations. She worked all through her academic years and put to use the gift of hard work she learned while creating The Feather. 

Since then, success has been generous to Amodei. Currently, she owns a full-service advertising agency called 12 Toes as well as partners with Heritage Restaurant Group. The family business franchises in 44 soon-to-be 45 restaurants, including Huckleberry’s, Cool Hand Luke’s and Perko’s. Amodei is on the Board of Trustees for Coast Unified School District.

Amodei’s true passion comes from giving back to the community. Recent projects for Amodei include repurposing a skate park for the community’s youth. She has plans to run for district supervisor for her county for the ’26 term. Setting her own ideas into motion, she encourages the current and future generations of Fresno Christian to take heart.

“There will be people around you who will tear you down. We’re seeing it more and more there are less leaders and more followers. The work we are doing is thankless, but whenever you start a new idea you must believe in yourself and see it through.”

Fresno Christian helped shape Amodei into the successful woman she is today, and will always hold a special place in her heart.

To read more from The Feather, go to Consequences of CA electric car mandate or College application process encouragement.

If you know any FCS alum that we can feature please email [email protected].