Monday, March 18, 2019

Distinguished Gentleman of the Month: Keylan Morgan


Name: Keylan G. Morgan, M.Ed
School: Texas State University 2003, 2007
Occupation: Program Specialist V, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Social Media:
Personal:
     IG: @kgm1906, Twitter: @kgm1906, Snapchat: @kgm1906
                Organization: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

1. What does "Distinguished Gentleman" mean to you?
A “Distinguished Gentleman” is one who is naturally set apart by his attributes and his moves.  He is a man of faith and his actions reflect it.  He’s passionate about his career and being a positive influence in his community, yet, he is not pretentious.  Drawing from a diverse array of life experiences, he can relate to individuals in both positions of power and those that can benefit from his journey.  His charisma and positive outlook on life inspires others to grow personally and professionally, even in the absence of a personal relationship.

2. What is your brand and how did you get started? (If you do not have a brand, you could talk about moves you’ve made to make a difference in your community, job/career, etc and how it has helped you)
     Every so often when I drive up to my house, I pinch myself to make sure it is not a dream.  I was born and raised in Galveston, TX and come from very humble beginnings.  Single-parent household, didn’t have much growing up and facing and overcoming adversity, I share in the plight of many black men whose life may not have been setup to “make it.”  Living in the same apartment for 13 years before I went off to college instilled in me the value of community and what it meant to help others.  I witnessed many times where people helped my family in our time of need and vice versa.  As a result, I have developed a strong value of service and helping people reach their full potential.

    My career has privileged me to advocate for and allow young people with backgrounds like mine in their pursuits of post-secondary education.  As a Director of TRiO Programs (Talent Search and Upward Bound) for over 11 years, the teams I led spent countless hours investing in the lives of first-generation and low-income students.  Our work enhanced students and their families understanding of the importance of a post-secondary education while providing intensive support to help students succeed academically.  While I am thoroughly fulfilled by giving back, the success of students I have worked with over the years has inspired me to pursue and obtain higher posts to continue this work.  I have had the privilege to serve as the first Director of Student Success Initiatives for University College at Texas State University and now I work for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as a Program Specialist V for Developmental Education in the Division of College Readiness and Success.  This position provides me with a platform to work directly with institutions of higher education across the state in developing best practices for helping underprepared students be successful in college.  Not many have this type of day-to-day influence on the higher education system and it is work that I take great pride and responsibility in doing.

  1. What is your dream goal and how do you plan on achieving it?
At the age of 38, I can honestly say that I am living my dream goal.  Early in my career, I set a goal to use both my education and life experiences to aid young people of color in their academic pursuits.  I have been privileged to serve in roles where I was charged with advocating for first-generation and low-income students at both the state and national levels.  I have held positions where I had the opportunity to personally invest in the lives of students at the middle and high school and collegiate levels.  Most recently, I was at SXSWEdu for work and ran into a former TRiO Upward Bound student who is now employed by a college and working for a TRiO program.  This example is the product of working towards my ultimate dream goal. When I left Texas State after over 13 years of service, a young Black male I had the privilege of working with wrote me a letter that included this, “Your hard work and dedication are deeply appreciated.  Your actions and words have brought positive change to many lives.  Keep fighting the good fight.  Continue being a lighthouse to those in the dark.” These two examples are snapshots of many and why I believe I am already living my dream goal.

5. Name a moment that you feel helped shape you into the young man that you are today?

A defining moment in my life was my transition from Galveston Community College to Texas State University in the fall of 2000.  Leaving the city where I was born and raised, I was forced to decide what type of life I wanted and map out a plan to get there.  While in Galveston, my perspective on life was very limited.  Literally, I woke up one day and decided the world didn’t owe me anything because of my background and I needed to maximize the moment I had in from of me.  While in San Marcos to attend Texas State, I constantly challenged myself to join organizations and pursue leadership roles that would enhance my skillsets and be value-added for my future.  Although I was unsure of myself and my future at times, the commitment I made to live life and not let it live me started to pay off.  I was inducted into “Who’s Who Among  Students in Colleges and Universities, served as a Senator for the College of Business in Student Government, and was even named the College Student of the Year by the Dunbar Heritage Association.  These experiences eroded at the unsureness I had about myself and created an infrastructure for my confidence to be nurtured and to grow.  These experiences reshaped my understanding what it meant to be a black man in todays’ society and my role and responsibility to my community and other black people in general.  For these reasons and more, this is one of many transformative moments in my life that have molded me into the black man I have become.


  1. Name a person (dead or alive) that you look up to & why?
A person that I look up to is Dr. Gregory Vincent.  Literally, he is my definition of a “distinguished gentleman”.  He has provided me with sound advice throughout my career.  Despite his success in his own career holding positions in the past such as Vice-President for Diversity and Community Engagement for The University of Texas at Austin and President of his alma mater Hobart and William Smith Colleges, his ego remains humble. Every time I encounter him he is genuine and always concerned with how I am doing.  For these few reasons and more, I consider him a mentor and friend.

  1. When it comes to being a man, what do you feel should be the three core values that a gentleman should uphold?
 Three core values I feel a gentleman must uphold are respect for self and others, passion for purpose, and the commitment to make a difference.


  1. What is a quote that you live by and how do you live up to it?
The quote I live by is “If you believe it, you can conceive it, and if you conceive it, you can achieve it!”  I live up to this quote by not limiting myself to other opinions of what I can achieve or dreams I should pursue.

8. Piece of advice that you would give to young men of color who do not believe in themselves or lack role models?
The piece of information I would give to young men of color in either of these situations is to understand that sometimes “you have to fake it until you make it!”  I often share with young men I work with that even in all my success and the confidence I display, I too still have moments of doubt and insecurity that slows me down at times.  The point is, it slows me down, but does not stop or break me from achieving my goals.  

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