Katie Morgan was in the middle of a work day when she had her 'aha moment.' "I was sitting in a meeting that could have been an email thinking 'what am I doing here? I can't do this for another 20 to 25 years.'"
Her job paid well but wasn't fulfilling. She thought about her options, talked it over with her husband, and made one of the biggest decisions of her life. She quit her full-time job, picked up a part-time one, and became a full-time student at Onondaga Community College.
Morgan and her husband were very familiar with OCC. Their three daughters all earned degrees here, the youngest finishing in the spring of 2024. "They were very supportive and told me there would be other older students here. They said they liked being in classes with older students and hearing what they had to say."
Morgan enrolled in the fall 2024 semester and chose the Human Services degree program. "I really want to help people. I want to be in a situation where I can make somebody's life better." She had a great first semester, earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average, and was invited to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She also became a member of the Student Advisory Board for OCC's School of Health, Wellness & Human Services. "I want to be here. Doing well means so much more to me now. I'm really excited and grateful I'm getting an opportunity to do this."
At the moment, she is interested in working with refugees and families. She will do an internship in the fall when she expects her career plans to come into focus. She's sure she wants to become a Licensed Social Worker so she can also practice counseling.
Morgan will complete her degree one year from now, and continue her education as she works toward earning advanced degrees. "I had this realization that 6 or 7 years would go by whether I was in school or sitting behind my desk at home. I could either have a new career after 6 or 7 years or be unhappy doing what I was doing. I love being here. All of my professors are amazing. I'm very appreciative of this school."
