Seminar: Women in Public Policy (1996), Seneca Falls 150th Anniversary Convention (1998), Internship Program (1998)
Occupation: President, Steadfast Strategies
Education: BA, English and Public Policy, Trinity College Dublin
When Morgan signed up for her first PLEN seminar, she was unaware that she was about to establish a lifelong relationship with PLEN. After her first Women in Public Policy Seminar she continued on to attend the Seneca Falls 150th Anniversary Convention during her junior year, and as a senior she participated in PLEN’s Semester Internship Program. Having participated in PLEN programs three times throughout the course of her undergraduate experience, upon graduating Morgan was more than ready to take D.C. by storm and launch a successful career working for an impressive variety of advocacy-oriented progressive non-profits.
Morgan started out college as an education major, but her PLEN experience inspired her to pursue a career influencing policy rather than teaching. During Morgan’s last year of college PLEN assisted in facilitating her internship with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and provided her and others with seminars on professional development. This internship was a defining movement in Morgan’s nascent political career. Matthew Shepard’s murder occurred while Morgan was interning for the Human Rights Campaign, and Morgan assisted HRC with organizing a memorial rally. Within 48 hours they had assembled over 10,000 people and booked high-profile speakers such as Ellen DeGeneres and Ted Kennedy. Morgan saw firsthand how you could take such a terrible tragedy and mobilize people to make a difference. She deeply appreciated being part of organizing such an important and large-scale political event, an event that ended up kick starting the efforts to pass protections against hate crimes.
Morgan remains actively involved in PLEN by mentoring PLEN students and speaking at PLEN seminars about her expertise in nonprofits and policy as well as professional development and work-life balance. She believes work-life balance is challenging yet possible; in addition to her career, Morgan is a mother of two children. As a parent to daughters, Morgan feels obligated to advance PLEN’s goal of supporting women in reaching their dreams – she wants her daughters to see that they have limitless professional and familial possibilities.
By Ahuva Sunshine • 2014
Updated • 2017