Submitted by the Division of Professional and Graduate Studies
The first comment anyone makes about Joy Morrison is that she lives up to her name. Upbeat and spirited, her enthusiasm is contagious. And when she speaks about her studies in the Albertus Magnus College Accelerated Degree Program, her enthusiasm amplifies.
Although she started her college journey at another school, she switched to Albertus Magnus for the availability and attention the professors and staff have for the students. From her first meeting with a college counselor at a college fair to the dedication to the IT department, Joy has felt that the entire Albertus Magnus community is supportive.
“I work full-time, I parent full-time, and I go to school full-time, and everything is accessible around my schedule. I can get tutoring when I need it, and all of my instructors are always willing to work with me.” -Joy Morrison
Joy is slated to receive her Associate’s degree this year and will roll right into the BS in Health Care Management program. This is the best path for her to advance in her employment at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She is passionate about her work as a rehab associate, and her voice fills with emotion when she talks about how much she loves to serve the patients. She sees herself as the encourager for those who have lost hope while hospitalized in her unit. With her impending degrees, Joy will be able to make more of a difference for those patients she cares for so deeply.
That same encouragement is used within her family. Joy’s ultimate ambition is to be a positive role model for her kids. Her high-school daughter attended the Albertus Magnus Family Day and wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps. As a family, they perform extensive volunteer work within the New Haven community with their church. Joy, her two children, and her mother have been an inter-generational team of goodwill, helping wherever there is a need—from providing school supplies to those who cannot afford them to taking shifts at the local soup kitchen.
Joy’s life is certainly full! With all that she has on her plate, she has managed to stay on the Dean’s list for her entire college career. What is Joy’s secret to doing it all? She claims it is because she is fastidious about her calendar– even scheduling time during the day to study. But the true secret to her success is her love of life and her desire to be an example to others. There is little doubt that Joy has been a positive influence within the classroom as she completes her courses with a zeal that transmits throughout the entire campus. Joy shares, “It feels good accomplishing this goal…Albertus Magnus is a phenomenal program.” The preparedness she receives from her classes combined with her personality will be sure to make Joy thrive in the future.