Oglethorpe University’s Michael Morgan ’21 has been selected to serve as a National Transfer Student Ambassador by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students. He is one of only four students to be selected out of a competitive, country-wide application process.
National Transfer Student Ambassadors hold a variety of responsibilities throughout the year, the biggest of which is attending the NISTS 2021 Virtual Conference. While there, they participate in a variety of conference activities, including the annual awards ceremony, a transfer student panel, meet-and-greet sessions with conference participants, and other special projects.
Senior Michael Morgan
In this role, Morgan is also asked to work in tandem with Oglethorpe to bolster the transfer program and ensure a robust and accommodating experience for students. According to the NISTS website, these re-worked programs must “serve transfer students directly and should highlight awareness, celebration, or advocacy for transfer student needs.”
Morgan matriculated several times before finding his home at Oglethorpe. He began his college career at Ohio State University, but felt isolated by the sheer size. “Where were people who were like me?” says Morgan, “As a Black man who doesn’t run a football or shoot a basketball, I did not feel like there was a place for me.” He then transferred to the University of Cincinnati, which he attended for a year before his mother got a job in Atlanta. Wanting to take advantage of the city, he applied to several schools in the area, including a few well-known HBCUs, but he found Oglethorpe best fit his desired academic experience.
Since his enrollment, the Politics major has wasted no time getting involved and making an impact on campus. He was quickly offered the opportunity to become the first transfer student liaison based in the Office of Academic Success, a position made possible through a generous donation from the Robitaille family in memory of their son Paul Hackett. Additionally, he serves as the Membership Chair in the recently-chartered Oglethorpe chapter of the Collegiate 100, a student organization dedicated to furthering the academic success of Black students. He is currently in the process of bringing a chapter of Tau Sigma, a transfer student honor society, to campus.
Cecil Rose, associate director of academic success
Morgan’s advisor Cecil Rose, who helped him apply for the positions, had high praise for the now senior.
“Michael has shown extraordinary growth in this role and has been a true champion of causes and involvement for transfer students especially students of color. Michael and fellow transfer student, David Swillum ’21, have chartered the Collegiate 100, which provides avenues for engagement and mentoring on campus and the city of Atlanta. He has established a model of success that we hope that all of our future transfer students will embody.”
When asked what he would tell any student considering Oglethorpe, Morgan has this to say: “I would tell them to come! I would urge them to be a part of an institution that will value them, guide them, and put them in the position to achieve their life goals!”
In addition to a letter of recommendation, letter of intent and resume, Morgan was also asked to submit a video for his application. View the video he submitted to get the position below.
