Alumni Story

By asking questions and becoming passionate about it, I really grew into my role.”

From a young age, Morgan Carlton knew about Catawba College. She grew up in the area, and when it came time to choose a college, she fell in love with Catawba’s campus. “It felt like home,” Morgan said.

Majoring in business administration with a concentration in information systems was a natural fit. Morgan’s mother had a background in information technology, and Morgan learned early on that she liked that career field. Morgan also had an interest in accounting and marketing, leading to her choice of a business major. She appreciated the Ketner School of Business program and, through a work-study job, was really able to get to know her professors as well as the math professors, as their offices were in the same building. She said, “I would say that I really loved every single one of the faculty members.”

Morgan was a member of Phi Beta Lambda (PBL), now known as Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). “Dr. Pam Thompson would coordinate field trips and hands-on experience where we would help real-world businesses,” she said.

After graduating in 2016, Morgan used a recruiter to help her with job placement. The recruiter brought her an IT job at Novant Health in Salisbury. The position was as an associate systems analyst, supporting radiation oncology software applications. She got the job. “I grew into that role very quickly. In the last ten years, I’ve been promoted several times and am now a team lead. I lead three people. Going into that job, I didn’t have any of the full technical skill sets, but I received heavy on-the-job training. I never knew anything about oncology prior to this job. We had a training boot camp. By asking questions and becoming passionate about it, I really grew into my role,” she said. Her team supports the record-and-verify oncology information system; it is their primary application among many others. For Morgan, a typical day involves spending a lot of time coordinating resources and projects, and serving as a technical expert on many of the interfaces. She also schedules documentation between the oncology information system and the hospital’s system.

“During the pandemic, I took advantage of the downtime in the world to go into an MBA program,” Morgan said. Catawba was her choice. “I thought, well, there’s no place like home. I know the professors, so I knew I’d be comfortable. I did the program over the course of two years instead of one year. That’s why I chose to do it when I did.” Morgan earned her MBA from Catawba College in 2022 and was honored as the MBA Student of the Year at Catawba that same year.

In the MBA program, Morgan enjoyed connecting classroom learning with the real world of business, much as she had as an undergraduate. She said, “During the program, I used a lot of real-world examples that I’ve learned at Novant. I put it to paper and was able to relate my work knowledge to the classroom material I was learning.”

She noted how grateful she is to Dr. Pam Thompson. She said, "She was my undergraduate college advisor. And my life advisor, to be honest. She’s been my rock through both programs.”

In her day-to-day work, Morgan still applies principles she learned in the program, particularly in her information systems course and in her conflict management course. “Conflict management includes negotiation, and at work we need to take the time to negotiate the way we should do things. I used the skills immediately in my job.” She adds, “More than anything, it helped me open my eyes and think more like a manager. Even though I am not a manager, I do lead a team.”

During her time at Catawba, Morgan gained the confidence to open up and connect with others. She said, “When I first came to Catawba, I was pretty shy. My grandparents would say that Catawba was the best thing that ever happened to me. I blossomed; my RA encouraged me to get involved in the SGA. I would say that my involvement in those SGA activities has contributed to my career by teaching me to coordinate activities and learning administrative skills that I’ve used in my career. For me personally, I’m glad that I took the time to gain real work experience prior to starting the MBA program. I think that really helped me. I love being able to relate real-world experiences to what I’m learning in classes.” Morgan admitted, “I don’t love school, but I love being able to relate to what is being taught. Catawba is a second home to me. I’m grateful for the opportunities I was provided there.” Despite not loving school, Morgan has since served as an adjunct faculty member at Catawba.

Catawba connections abound in Morgan’s life. Her husband, Bradley, is also a 2016 graduate of Catawba, but the two didn’t date until after graduation. In 2018, he proposed to her in front of the Hedrick Building. They got married in 2019. The couple enjoy hosting an annual tailgate at Catawba’s Homecoming and keeping in touch with their Catawba friends year-round. Along with raising their young daughter, they make time for family, their church, and trips to the beach. Morgan has also learned to play mahjongg.

The strong connections Morgan formed at Catawba continue to impact her life today, which is why she encourages current students to take full advantage of the opportunities around them. She encourages students to make the most of the small class sizes at Catawba and get to know their professors. She said, “They will get to know you, and they will help you.”

Morgan was recognized with the Young Alumni Career Development Award at Catawba’s Homecoming in 2025.