Morgan, what has the transition from undergraduate student to graduate student been like?
It has been stressful, to say the least, but also very rewarding. Graduate students are considered “junior faculty” at JMU and have some of the same responsibilities as full-time faculty, so it feels much less like being a student and much more like working a 9-5. I am constantly rushing from one meeting to the next and trying to fit homework somewhere in between. While there is a lot of stress, it’s also exciting to work with professors as peers and be respected by them as well.
What drew you to studying Psychology?
When I was in high school, I was a nanny for a young lady with autism for a few years. Her family members were all huge advocates for autism awareness and mental health awareness in general, and being a part of the community they were involved in really drew me to the general field of Psychology. During my second year at JMU, I took a class called Biopsychology that really transformed the way I thought about disorders and the brain, and ultimately changed my career path to lead me where I am today.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to your freshman self?
I would tell my freshman self to spend more time studying and less time trying to get that guy to like you.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years, I see myself having graduated with a PhD in behavioral neuroscience, working as a professor at a university just like JMU–a university that is devoted to keeping teaching and academic research on high and equally important pedestals.
What has been the most rewarding experience for you at JMU so far?
I was a member of the Track and Field team for three years, and there are few things more rewarding that seeing months of hard work pay off in such big ways. I really got to see how all of my efforts translated into results, and I got to watch myself improve as the competition season went on. It also afforded me a lot of rewarding and memorable experiences like getting to run at the NCAA National Championship and traveling to Oregon for the USA Junior Olympic trials.
What is your favorite thing about living in Harrisonburg?
I really love the Harrisonburg community. Not only are there so many locally owned restaurants and breweries, the community has a strong focus on shopping locally and sustainably. There are so many great individuals living here focused on the rights of everyone in the community including students, local residents, homeless individuals, and members of the LGBT community, and it’s really great to be a part of a place like that.
If you could change anything about your undergraduate experience, would you?
If I could go back and change one thing, I would definitely have challenged myself more. There were several courses I didn’t have to take–like organic chemistry and anatomy–that I had the opportunity to take but chose not to because they were “hard classes” and I was afraid of failing. I now know that I can do anything I set my mind to, and I wish I had taken those courses when I had the chance.
How do you de-stress after a long day on campus?
I am a huge believer in yoga and meditation. At the end of a long day, I love to come home and roll out my mat. Whether I stay moving for half an hour or just sit in meditation instead, it helps me decompress from all of the stresses of the day and always makes me feel like myself again.
Morgan graduated from JMU this past May with a B.S. in Psychology. She is currently a first-year graduate student and graduate assistant within the Graduate Psychology department here at JMU.