Name: Keylan G.
Morgan, M.Ed
IG: @kgm1906,
Twitter: @kgm1906, Snapchat: @kgm1906
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.
- What is your dream goal and how do you plan on achieving it?
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.
- Name a person (dead or alive) that you look up to & why?
- When it comes to being a
man, what do you feel should be the three core values that a gentleman
should uphold?
- What is a quote that you live by and how do you live up to it?
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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