“Naz prepared me for success by molding me into a well-rounded leader”
Name: Victoria Alexis Morgan '25
Academic programs: Biomedical Sciences major; minors in Religious Studies and Spiritual Care
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| The people on your journey are more important than the destination. The people on your journey are more important than the destination. Friends listen to you vent, hold you when you cry, and celebrate your wins. Human connection keeps us alive, and I am forever grateful for the friends I have made while at Nazareth University. (I’m at the left.) |
Best experiences in college?
Nazareth University made me resolute and confident in my pursuit of justice and peace for all people. Who I am now is completely different than who I was when I came into college, and that difference is self-assurance.
During my freshman year, my Anatomy and Physiology professor, Professor Dodge, pulled me aside after the first exam and asked me if I had ever considered becoming a physician. I had, but no one in my family had attempted such a feat; there were a lot of nurses, though. He opened my consciousness to the possibility that succeeding as a doctor could be a very realistic path for me, because I am highly capable of the grit it takes to become a doctor. I excelled on his first exam, which students seldom achieve. I am no longer on the path to become a physician (I am tackling health issues from a more preventive, environmental standpoint rather than one that intervenes through diagnosis and treatment), but I believe in myself wholeheartedly. I believe in myself so much that I was daring enough to change my major and career path and pursue the endeavors that truly make me come alive. Not many people are able to do this because they come to know and believe in themselves much later in life. Naz helped me to do this at a time when the possibilities are endless.
What’s next after Naz?
I am starting my Master of Arts degree in International Affairs: Natural Resources and Sustainable Development at American University in Washington, D.C.
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I had the pleasure of being a Naz Orientation Leader. Our group of first-year students had the opportunity to volunteer at the Hickok Center for Brain Injury, doing yard work, cleaning and organizing closets, and enhancing the environment of this community. It was a challenging but rewarding experience. |
What are you most looking forward to in your life’s work? How has Naz prepared you for success?
I look forward to traveling and exploring the planet, listening to stories from my fellow humans, and connecting to this Earth in a deeply spiritual way so that I may advocate on its behalf.
Naz prepared me for success by molding me into a well-rounded leader who is not only led by reason and detail-oriented inquisition but also empathy and concern for social justice. I am a student of science pursuing environmental solutions to public health issues, but my quest is rooted in deep compassion and love for every facet of creation, from ant to human.
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| On the Solidarity and Social Justice Retreat to Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee in 2024, with my best friends, we learned about crucial U.S. American history that needs to be remembered in a time of division, violence, and loss of freedom. |
What lessons will you take from your Nazareth years?
Leave the future open and unwritten. It is okay to plan, but allow the option of totally scrapping that plan for a new one. Life will present so many pleasant surprises that can take you on detours, and you have to be prepared for the unexpected.
Who’s had a great impact on you?
There are so many:
First, I am incredibly grateful for the counseling and financial support I have received from Tonya Guzman and the Student Access and Achievement Programs. I would not be at Nazareth University if I were not a Young Scholar.
Thank you, John Rigney, for giving me a chance to lead and believing in the health and well-being of humans just as much as I do.
Thank you, Professor Nicole Juersivich, for being a true ally and a role model. You constantly support my speaking up and have given me the space to use my voice, even when I doubted it. More marginalized students need someone as fearless and compassionate as you.
Thank you, Sr. Donna DelSanto, for never being intimidated by my larger-than-life, outspoken energy. You helped to cultivate it, and you are inspired by it. You allowed me to love myself completely and fully for who I am.
Finally, thank you, Professor Bishal Karna, for introducing me to a depth of life that was originally unbeknownst to me. I feel like I am living with an intention and purpose that I did not have before.
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| That's me in high school. |
