Page 23 - Access 7

NEIL MORGAN
BY DOUGLAS HOAGLAND
Neil Morgan found a family in the Veterans Education Program. When his father passed away, fellow students in the program showed their respects by attending the funeral service. “I felt like I was back in the service with the brotherhood and sisterhood you have,” says Morgan, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. “They’ve got your back, and you’ve got theirs.”
SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM HAVE BEEN THERE FOR ME.
THEY’VE BEEN A REAL GODSEND.”
Grief weighed heavily on Morgan after his dad’s death. That’s when officials with the Veterans Education Program stepped in to help, securing Morgan counseling at Fresno State.
“No matter what I was going through, the people in the program were going to be there for me. It was very much like a family.”
Morgan’s grief was mixed with the effects of service-related post traumatic stress syn- drome (PTSD). While in the Coast Guard from 2001-2005, he served in the Middle East with a joint force that took over hostile ports, pro- tected American assets and tracked terrorists during the war in Iraq. Morgan experienced missile attacks as well as a then-new danger: improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Life after the Coast Guard was erratic.
He held many jobs: welder, bouncer, elec- trician, construction worker. Sometimes, he worked three at the same time. All the while, Morgan struggled to get help from the Vet- erans Administration, finally succeeding in 2014. Morgan started exploring the Veterans Education Program in 2015, and he recalls associate dean Dr. Bernard telling him it was free. “I thought, ‘Yeah, I’ve heard that before.’ But it really was. I never saw a bill.” He joined the program in the fall 2016 semester and started classes toward his degree the follow-
ing year. But ties to the program continued when Morgan got a work-study job in its campusoffice.Heworkedtherewhileearning a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. His courses included advanced math, and when he needed help, the Division of Continuing and Global Education paid for a private tutor using funds from the do- nor-supported Veterans Education Program, even though he had completed the program the year before. Morgan studied mechanical engineering because, he says, “I like solving problems, and I like to take things apart and put them back together.” His senior project was complex and fascinating: researching and testing a solar cell for a non-invasive glucose monitoring device.
As Morgan neared the completion of his degree, he celebrated his 40th birthday in November 2021. Friends from the Veterans Education Program came to his party – demonstrating the camaraderie and support so important to Morgan. He completed his degree the following month, and he hopes to find a job as a project engineer in the man- ufacturing or energy sectors. Since coming to Fresno State, Morgan has found academic success and personal happiness – he got married and became a father. He readily ac- knowledges the importance of the Veterans Education Program in his life. “I’ve had a lot of hurdles to overcome. So many people in the program have been there for me. They’ve been a real godsend.”
ACCESS - The Division of Continuing and Global Education 23