Tammy Morgan
Storytelling by her professor of history at Southeastern Louisiana University was the inspiration Tammy Morgan needed to find her path in life. She was in her first year of college. “I was so hooked. I want to do that!” she recalled. Teaching Louisiana History to middle schoolers became her calling, and she’s now in her 14th year, five at University View Academy. Currently, she’s working on her master’s degree through Northwestern State.
But her vocation still came in a roundabout way. She enlisted in the U.S. Navy straight out of high school. The Navy tapped into her organizational skills and attention to detail and made her a cryptologist. That’s someone who deciphers codes or develops ways to protect classified or private information. After the Navy, and still looking for her purpose, she enrolled in college and found her path in teaching. She also discovered she had a knack for technology. “I’m a gadget girl,” she said proudly. The online environment of UVA suits her. “I love teaching and technology, so here at UVA, I get the best of both worlds,” she added.
Mrs. Morgan relishes in the rich history and culture of Louisiana, even though she’s a native of Michigan. And she says it’s not hard to excite her students about their home state. “It’s really easy to point out the uniqueness of Louisiana,” she said excitedly. “Kids can relate to parts of it. They see timber trucks going down the road, strawberries being sold on the side of the road, oil refineries. They understand our natural resources play such an important part in our economy and as a driving force in our history. The Mississippi River cannot be overstated in its importance,” she instructed passionately. As a treat for her students, her cat Cheeto makes an appearance during her live sessions. It’s always at the end so she can build the anticipation in the kids.
She also likes to share her love of technology with fellow UVA teachers to operate more effectively in the cyber world of UVA. “This place is definitely more of a team effort than most schools are. Teachers have time to talk and share ideas and collaborate,” she stated. “Our technology is always getting better. Leadership is always looking for ways to improve our program for the students and the teachers,” she reinforced. The tech and teaching passions combine to form Mrs. Morgan’s purpose. “Some of our kids really, really do need us. They are not going to be denied a good education,” she proclaimed.