Leadership, Ambition, and Scuba Diving: Meet First Gen Student Morgan Wilson ’26
Written byTori McLean Good
POV: You’re 10+ feet underwater, it’s about 40 degrees, you’re wearing SCUBA gear, and you’re searching for an invasive plant species, Eurasian watermilfoil. This was the reality of Biology major Morgan Wilson’s summer internship working with Aqualogic. But Morgan didn’t luck into this internship, she took intentional steps throughout her Converse experience that led her to be successful in her role.
Spartanburg native, Morgan Wilson is a First Generation student who entered Converse in the fall of 2022 as a shy, introverted student. As Morgan prepared to attend Converse, her mom encouraged her to consider living on campus to expand her horizons and set her up for success in community with other students. Unlike most moms, however, Morgan’s mom has worked at Converse for 20+ years and has seen the benefits of students living on campus firsthand. Living in community, the challenge of leadership, and getting out of her comfort zone has impacted Morgan’s life tremendously and she has flourished–making a 180 degree shift from her freshman year.
“Living in community, the challenge of leadership, and getting out of her comfort zone has impacted Morgan’s life tremendously.”
Morgan has utilized every resource and opportunity available to her: being a community advisor (CA) every year she was eligible, capitalizing on support from the Office of Accessibility, the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning’s testing center, as well as running for and being elected as the Student Government Association secretary, and applying for a highly competitive internship position all the way in Upstate New York (as well as many other involvements and successes along the way).
Converse is a place that fostered and cultivated this community for Morgan, helping her realize her potential. When Community Advisor (CA) recruitment was occurring, Morgan received an email from Daphnie Glenn, Assistant Vice President for Student Success encouraging her to apply. “I started talking to people and I got a little bit more confident… I started finding other positions and it spiraled from there.” This confidence paved the way for Morgan to excel as an advocate for all those she works with, often going above and beyond the call of duty; like when she noticed a resident on her hall did not receive the Big Sis Lil Sis adulation and fanfare others received and jumped immediately into action. Without hesitation, Morgan volunteered to take on the responsibility of being that resident’s big sister (before her junior year when mentors typically step up) and went on a late night trip to get supplies to make her new little sis feel loved and supported—beyond the call of duty.
Thanks to a call from a mentor and classmate, Abeeha Sajid ‘25, Morgan decided to take on the challenge of student leadership as secretary of the Student Government Association. As someone who was terrified of delivering an election speech, Morgan said “I think being involved on campus you have to get flexible really fast, you get into situations that you don’t expect to get put into and you get comfortable being scared which is something that I had to learn. There’s a lot of times when I gave speeches, I was so scared I was shaking, but I still did it. I think it makes you get that mindset of I’m scared, but I’m going to do it anyway and figure it out once I get there. People underestimate themselves and take that as a weakness, I think it’s a really helpful skill. The best step is to start.” These transferable skills will be a huge asset for Morgan in the future and she attributes her involvement to helping her build confidence and community.
As Morgan’s confidence increased and so did her utilization of other Converse resources. Knowing she needed additional experience for job readiness, Morgan got to work looking for an internship. Because of her relationship with the Center for Career Development, Morgan knew she needed to start early. She started in October of 2024 looking for summer of 2025 opportunities; making appointments with Tana Devine in the Center for Career Development and scouring Handshake for opportunities that appealed to her.
Morgan’s journey to internship success was not an automatic win; the process required a number of applications and intentional networking (further inviting Morgan out of her comfort zone). Despite her preliminary thoughts, she now admits to liking networking due to all the practice with it! This confidence informed Morgan’s intentional work, reaching out to potential connections, researching recruiters, tailoring her resume and cover letter based on the job description and company, and numerous visits to the Center for Career Development.
One day, she came across an opportunity she thought was too good to be true with Aqualogic. Morgan was encouraged to apply—what’s the worst that could happen?
“I think the small liberal arts college at Converse is really intimate… People at my internship could not comprehend that my professors and I can go sit down and have lunch together.”
Morgan Wilson ’26
As it turns out, Morgan’s interview was the first in a very competitive process. Out of 500+ applicants (and her careful preparation), Morgan was selected for the coveted Underwater Soldier Internship with Aqualogic. As a part of her internship, Morgan SCUBA dived to remove invasive Eurasian watermilfoil to sustain environmental balance, satisfying her love of SCUBA diving and conservation work. Through this experience, she has learned a host of technical skills, greater confidence in diving in lakes and the ocean, driving boats, charting lakes, etc., but she’s gained a lot more through expanded interpersonal skills, independence, and confidence that will serve her in her ongoing full-time job search. Some days, she was at the bottom of lakes in search of pesky watermilfoil, others she was in a kayak on the surface watching out for her teammates—every day was a bit different and sometimes not the most glamorous, but this experiential learning was a game changer for Morgan’s career trajectory.
Morgan attributes her success in her internship as a byproduct of her Converse experience. “I think the small liberal arts college at Converse is really intimate, which I absolutely love. I don’t think there’s as much separation between students and faculty. People at my internship could not comprehend that my professors and I can go sit down and have lunch together. Everyone knows each other on a personal level and it’s allowed the schooling to become more customized to the student.” Morgan shared a specific example where a chicken at her internship’s lodging was feeling a bit under the weather, Morgan was able to talk to her professor, Dr. Mark Bohler, knowing he studied animal and poultry science to find a solution. While a funny anecdote, it’s indicative of the relationships built and sustained at Converse and the benefits of a high faculty to student ratio in applying solutions to real world problems. (In case you were wondering, the chicken made a full recovery)
Pushing herself out of her comfort zone from a lifetime living in Upstate South Carolina to Upstate New York for her internship was no easy feat. “Now I have even more empathy for people who are here and away from their families, because I now know how hard that was. It was a good learning experience and I think it has definitely had an impact on helping me grow.”
The apple has not fallen far from the tree. Morgan’s mom, Sabrina Hartness, has been a tremendous asset to the Converse community since she started in the mail room over 20 years ago. Sabrina has modeled hard work and determination, rising to the occasion of her own professional development and leaning into ways to improve the lives of others on campus. As a Converse II student, Sabrina has balanced working full-time and attending classes while raising three children. Her own professional metamorphosis has paralleled Morgan’s as a result of Converse’s relationships and opportunities available. Morgan shares “She’s done all this work and I get to see the product and reward of it. I’m really thankful for that. That is something that’s pushed me a lot in attending because it’s harder to give up or say I’m not going to do something when people have worked that hard. It’s really made me appreciate everything that is here because now I know personally the effort that it takes to be the way that it is. I’m really grateful and excited to keep going and carry that on through whatever I do because it’s a product of her.”
Converse opens doors of opportunity for students by pushing them to consider possibilities beyond their expectations. Whether it’s learning through an internship experience, research with a faculty member, student leadership opportunities, or study travel, Converse students are well prepared to face whatever is next in their professional and personal journeys.
Success starts here.