Alumni Spotlight
February 2023
Royal Morgan, Class of 2015
Why did your family choose Kennedy for your education?
I began attending St. Pius in the fifth grade and stayed in the Kennedy pipeline until the 8th grade. Once it was time to look at high schools, I shadowed most in the area, but none of the schools felt like home. There was something special and humbling about attending JFK. Plus, my mother looked into the EdChoice voucher, and believed that JFK gave me the best chance to get into a great college.
What is your favorite Kennedy memory?
There are so many good memories that I have of Kennedy. A good memory is my sophomore year, when John Hilty caught the Hail Mary pass at the end of regulation to beat Girard at their home stadium. But, I think the best memory I have was hosting Kennedy Center Honors with my best friend, Connor Puet, my Senior year. I stepped out of my comfort zone and learned how to do East Coast Swing. Standing in front of a crowd trying to do stand up and keep the crowd engaged was fun and really exciting. Listening to the audience applaud the plethora of talented people who performed in the show was something that I will never forget.
Did you have a teacher or class that was a major influence on you?
I had some really good classes and amazing teachers when I attended the school. The teachers made the classes exciting and worthwhile. The teachers that really captivated me were Mrs. Luann Rossi and Mr. Jim Boyle. They really knew how to teach and to engage the students when they taught at the school. You could tell that they were passionate about what they were teaching. However, I applaud every teacher that taught at JFK. If an assignment was tough or a student struggled with a subject, they were always willing to stay behind and help. That is what made JFK teachers special.
Education/Professional Experience:
What career did you choose and tell us a little bit about how you got there.
Right now, I am an Officer for the US Navy. After college, I wanted pursue my dream of working for the United Nations. I got accepted into University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate school for International Affairs and got a job offer to work for the private sector for the government. I had this “foolproof” plan of how I was going to do that, but once COVID hit, my path led me elsewhere. I had always wanted to serve my country, and once I received my acceptance letter to become an officer, I have never looked back.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Becoming an Officer is my greatest accomplishment so far. It has led me to travel across the country and to visit states and countries that I thought I would never visit. It has allowed me to meet a multitude of great people and to strengthen my bond and connections with others who are of different cultures and backgrounds.
What is a specific piece of advice you would give to a Kennedy senior?
If I have to give some advice to a senior at Kennedy, I would probably tell them this: Enjoy and embrace every day that you spend with your closest friends. Talk to those who you usually wouldn’t talk to, try new things, be in the moment, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, and be yourself. A teacher of mine, at the beginning of my senior year told me, “You never know how good you have it until it’s gone, so enjoy this time while you have it”, and that is something that sticks with me to this very day.
