RCC Alum Robert Morgan credits time spent at RCC as best decision ever made

Robert Morgan started his college career at Purdue University in 2008 with hopes of going into Biomedical Engineering. It was a great career choice and, a great college, but it came with a costly price tag of $64,000 a year and one that Morgan realized he could not continue to afford, so he left Perdue and came back home.  

“I decided to take a step back,” Morgan said. “I was looking for a fresh start and for a way to get back on track.”

That’s when he decided to give Robeson Community College a try. As a native of Lumberton, Morgan was familiar with the campus and thought it might be well-deserving of a second look.

Robert says it was the best decision he ever made. 

“Robeson Community College offered flexibility with their courses and offered the ability to transition to another college,” Morgan said. “RCC allowed me to build stronger bonds with my instructors with the smaller class sizes.”

Morgan initially wanted to become a registered nurse and go into healthcare, progressing to a BSN program, so he enrolled in the associate of science program.

One instructor he says had an impact on him was Darlene Montesanti.

“I was able to work very closely with her, which allowed me to gain a wider breadth of knowledge than I would have at a university,” Morgan said.

“My anxiety was a lot smoother going through the program compared to the need and compulsion of a university,” Morgan recalls. “RCC helped me transition the mindset of a high-pressure environment that I had experienced prior to enrolling.”

“Robeson Community College was very accessible and everyone was very approachable,” Morgan said. “I highly recommend it to everyone that I know, I even recommended that one of my clients go and enroll in the bookkeeping certificate program that you have… she just completed it… I always tell people to go get their general education credits at RCC, where they can learn and grow.”

Although Robert’s goals changed, he says that RCC gave him a firm foundation that has helped him throughout his career.

“Life happens,” Morgan says. “I found myself in a position where I was unable to go to school full-time on campus, and that’s why I changed my major from BSN to full BA online.”

But as Robert acknowledges, it was the perfect path for him, he just didn’t realize it at the time.

“We all wonder if the path we choose is the right one, but you can only go in one direction for the rest of your life,” Morgan stated. “I finally found what I enjoy doing the most… my goals changed later on but it was what I needed to get to where I am today.”

When Morgan’s father died, he was asked to take over the accounting firm that he had established in Robeson County, and of course, he couldn’t say no.

“I never took any accounting classes at RCC,” Morgan says. “But I wish I had of.”

Morgan says he taught himself the things he needed to know so that he could take care of his father’s clients and ensure a smooth transition for the business, which is now named Morgan Financial Services.

“My father ran the firm while operating a full-time job,” Morgan says.

Morgan also plans to continue working his full-time job while running the business. He currently works remotely as a tax preparer for Travel Tax, which assists travel medical professionals.

“I’m working on getting credentials to become a CPA after completing my master’s degree in forensic accounting at UNCP,” Robert said. “I want to become a certified fraud examiner.”

So far Morgan says he loves being his own boss and that it feels good, but at times it can become stressful.

“It can be a little overwhelming, but I’m able to decompartmentalize and able to manage it all at once,” Morgan said. “I don’t plan on doing both forever.”

Morgan wants to continue his education in the future, eventually obtaining a PhD in Economics or Decision Science.

“I want to be able to help small business owners realize their goals,” Morgan said. “I want to help others gain that independence and follow their passion.”