About Me. |
My name is Molly Morgan and I am a senior at the University of South Carolina pursuing a degree in Public Health with minors in Spanish and Applied Computing. I am originally from Nottingham, United Kingdom and moved to the states when I was young. I went to high school in Greenville, South Carolina and my family now lives in rural Laurens, South Carolina. I began my freshman year at USC without a major and without a plan for the future. I was unsure what I wanted to study and I was left feeling unmotivated. That first year, I took classes from all different departments, searching to find something I was interested in. My first two semesters I tried out anthropology, computer science, biology, political science, psychology, and countless other majors. I was a regular in the Major Change Advising Office and knew my adviser's email by heart.
It wasn’t until I experienced the joy of volunteering while completing the semester volunteering requirement of the Capstone Scholars program that I truly found something I was passionate about – community service. It didn’t matter what I was doing, whether it was painting houses, taking a patient’s glucose, or distracting a child with toys during their physical therapy session, I had found a purpose and I had rediscovered my love of learning, both in and out of the classroom. That first year, many of the classes I took ended up not counting towards my degree, but I learned a lot about who I was and what I wanted out of life. |
I chose public health because it’s a field that would allow me to study anything and everything - the environment, communities, different cultures, languages, history, and more - all while giving back to my community. As a public health major, I was drawn towards areas of community service that allowed me to experience the medical field. These experiences then broadened my world beyond campus and allowed me to discover all of the things that truly excited me. My experiences volunteering at a free medical clinic for Spanish-speaking patients drew me to my job as an undergraduate research assistant working with bilingual Spanish-English speaking children in South Carolina and my passion for medicine. My experience volunteering at a pediatric therapy clinic showed me my love for working with children and the unique perspective that they have to offer. My experience working at a camp run by the Autism Academy allowed me to see the challenges and gifts that come with working with people whose life experiences have been so different from mine.
All of these experiences have shaped who I am as a person. They allowed me to see how I want to spend my life and the things I am truly passionate about. Although my first year on campus was full of the unknown, and there was a lot of time spent investigating fields I did not end up pursuing, it led me to my passion for serving my community. My experiences have also taught me a lot about the importance of understanding privilege and community in public health, reducing health disparities through health education, and the value of learning outside of the classroom. After I graduate this May with Leadership Distinction in Community Service, I hope to attend medical school. One day I would like to serve my community as a healthcare provider. I know my community service experiences will shape who I am as a provider and will provide me with valuable insight in to working with different cultures, ages, and perspectives.
All of these experiences have shaped who I am as a person. They allowed me to see how I want to spend my life and the things I am truly passionate about. Although my first year on campus was full of the unknown, and there was a lot of time spent investigating fields I did not end up pursuing, it led me to my passion for serving my community. My experiences have also taught me a lot about the importance of understanding privilege and community in public health, reducing health disparities through health education, and the value of learning outside of the classroom. After I graduate this May with Leadership Distinction in Community Service, I hope to attend medical school. One day I would like to serve my community as a healthcare provider. I know my community service experiences will shape who I am as a provider and will provide me with valuable insight in to working with different cultures, ages, and perspectives.