Meet… Morgan Carroll
Morgan Carroll with her family: Husband Heath, daughter, Mila, and son Dash.
When Morgan Carroll was a little girl, she loved to play school, enlisting her siblings to become her make-believe pupils.
As she got older, she would coach youth cheer squads and teach swimming lessons. Those early activities would foreshadow Carroll's future; today, she's a special education teacher with the Desoto County Schools – a position she's held now for six years.
"I love seeing the fruit that is produced after teaching a child,” Carroll said.
Carroll, who now lives in the North Mississippi town of Nesbit, grew up in the Clarkdale community and made Meridian Community College her first higher education choice. Still, she did have another influencer – her uncle Lowell Martin – who encouraged Carroll to get her start at MCC.
Initially, she wanted to study nursing; she even completed a nursing assistant program at MCC during her senior year of high school. But when she came to MCC, her career choice turned to education.
Her favorite MCC memories are working with Wade Heggie, the College's Fitness Center director. "Wade also instilled in me a great work ethic. Those 5:45 a.m. shifts in college – whew," she said.
"I met my best friend there, and we all enjoyed many laughs," Carroll remembered. Another special MCC memory? "My husband and I actually connected while at MCC. He attended on a soccer scholarship and graduated from there in 2010," she said.
Carroll transferred from MCC to Mississippi State University-Meridian and earned her bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies: education, special education, and English. "I recently received my certification in gifted education," Carroll said. And she's working on her master's degree in education in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on special education.
She and her husband, Heath, have a daughter, Mila, 5, and a son, Dash, 2. Rounding out the family are the Carrolls’ pups, Rascal and Dak.
So what advice would she give others considering MCC? "Go for it! It is nice to be close to home, to meet new friends from your hometown, and to get used to independence without being hours away."
Visit meridiancc.edu/alumni to learn more about the MCC Alumni Association.