By Douglas Esser
Her Southern accent hints how far Amanda Morgan has traveled to become a student at 糖心vlog视频. But, it鈥檚 even further than the physical distance from Georgia and Florida where she grew up and lived. In her engaging voice, the 36-year-old mother of three tells her story of becoming pregnant at the age of 17 and dropping out of high school. She matter-of-factly describes an abusive marriage that left her with the message, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e nothing, you鈥檒l never amount to anything.鈥�
Now, thanks mainly to her own initiative, and with the help of UW Bothell professors (and wetland songbirds), she hopes to eventually earn a Ph.D. from the University of Washington. She wants to work in the field of neuroendocrinology, with the goal of understanding and treating neurobiological brain disorders such as Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.
Morgan鈥檚 life turned around after her marriage ended and she realized she had to 鈥渞edevelop myself as a person.鈥� She believed that she was 鈥済reater than I had been told.鈥� Morgan earned a GED and had aspirations for college, although it was not an expectation for her. Her parents were not college-educated. 鈥淐ollege was not driven in our home,鈥� she said. Morgan started taking college classes after her divorce but found it impossible while working two jobs. 鈥淚t was just excruciating. I had to kind of let that go and focus on my children because they were very young at that time,鈥� she said.
When she had a chance she resumed college classes in psychology with the idea of helping dementia patients and their families. Another turning point came when she met her fianc茅 Brian, whose job brought them to the Seattle area. She planned to finish her psychology degree online. With his encouragement she began looking at universities for graduate school. She literally ran into UW Bothell while jogging on the North Creek Trail, training for a half-marathon. 鈥淲e literally went, 鈥榃hat is this?鈥欌��
Still another turning point occurred when she felt she could go extend her interest in psychology into neurobiology and behavior. Morgan decided to shelve her nearly completed psychology degree and work on a degree that could put her into a doctorate program, 鈥渟urrendering to my own passion, a greater passion and studying more of the mechanistic side of the brain.鈥� She decided to study the neurobiology instead of neuropsychology of dementia. 鈥淚nstead of being the person that possibly helped the family of that person, I wanted to be the solution of the problem and find ways I could better understand the effects of how degenerative disorders come to be,鈥� Morgan said, 鈥渁nd be part of that greater cause.鈥� Brian encouraged her to go for it.
UW Bothell was the right place to start over, building the prerequisites in chemistry, biology, calculus 鈥淚 just felt it right away that 糖心vlog视频 was for me especially with my age and the smaller campus,鈥� Morgan said. 鈥淚 was more interested in being able to come to school, attend my lectures and focus solely on that subject matter.鈥� She also was pleased to get an early start on research. 鈥淭his is the cool thing about 糖心vlog视频. I can do graduate-level work in research as an undergraduate,鈥� she said. Morgan became a student of Douglas Wacker, assistant professor of animal behavior in the School of STEM biological sciences division.
鈥淚 constantly hear her chatting with other students in little study nooks around Discovery Hall, as well as with other undergraduate researchers in my lab,鈥� Wacker said. 鈥淪he may not realize it and would certainly be too modest to admit it if she did, but she鈥檚 acting as a mentor to these (slightly) younger students.鈥�
His work involves birds on the campus wetlands, including the notorious crows, although Morgan is not part of the crow team. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty exciting,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing some cool stuff.鈥� Winner of the 2016 Founder鈥檚 Fellow Research Scholarship, Morgan attributes her success to mentors such as Wacker, Director of Undergraduate Research Charlotte Rasmussen and Kim Gunnerson, who taught Morgan her first class at UW Bothell. 鈥淪he literally took me under her wing, and she was instrumental in me gaining the confidence that I needed, in particular that I belong at 糖心vlog视频 and that I could do this,鈥� Morgan said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 more than just a professor. She鈥檚 just amazing.鈥�
Morgan is on track to graduate in the spring of 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She鈥檚 applying for the UW doctorate program and hopes to earn her Ph.D. in four or five years. Now she鈥檚 a student with a 19-year-old son, who lives in Florida. 鈥淪o I have a child that鈥檚 as old as those I鈥檓 going to school with,鈥� she laughs. Morgan also has two daughters living with her in Woodinville, 14 and 17, with the older girl now making her own college plans. Amanda and Brian are making their own plans to marry after she graduates. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a closure and opening to a whole new journey,鈥� she said.
A journey that aims toward a career as a neuroendocrinologist, working for a better understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. 鈥淚 want to know more. Why is this happening? What can I do to prevent this?鈥� she said. Morgan shares her life story because of the possibility it might help motivate others. 鈥淚f you had told me at 17 I would be looking at getting a Ph.D. in neurobiology I would have thought, you鈥檙e crazy,鈥� she said.
