For someone who originally didn鈥檛 want to come to UMass Lowell, David Morton sure is having a hard time saying goodbye.
鈥淭his is somewhere where I want to spend the next however many years of my life, becoming a double River Hawk and working in higher ed,鈥� says Morton, a North Andover native who plans to earn his master鈥檚 degree in higher education administration from the College of Education after completing his dual bachelor鈥檚 degrees in business administration and political science.听听
Morton鈥檚 first impression of UML came a decade ago, as a middle schooler, when he participated in a regional science fair at Southwick Hall.听听
鈥淭he campus was nothing like it is today,鈥� says Morton, who has seen the university open almost a dozen new or renovated buildings over the past five years, including the Pulichino Tong Business Center, where he takes classes in marketing and management.
鈥淚 like when things are changing and becoming better. I think that drew me here in the end,鈥� says Morton, who originally committed to Bridgewater State University before heeding the advice of his parents and attending UML.聽
鈥淚f I鈥檇 gone anywhere else, I wouldn鈥檛 be nearly as happy,鈥� he says.
Morton鈥檚 just about done it all as an undergraduate, serving as president of the Student Government Association (SGA), working as a student EMT for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and co-founding a student organization called the Entrepreneurial Ventures Association.
In addition to sharpening his leadership and time management skills, Morton says his extracurricular activities introduced him to people he may have otherwise never met.
鈥淭his is such a unique campus and community, with people from all different backgrounds,鈥� says Morton, who serves as 鈥渁n ear鈥� for all students as SGA president, working with administrators to address student concerns. Among the items on their checklist: create new study space at the McGauvran Center, add more hydration stations to dorms and find ways to better integrate commuter students into campus life.
鈥淐hancellor (Jacquie) Moloney and her team have been unbelievable advocates for students and student government,鈥� says Morton, whose SGA executive team meets with Moloney and her cabinet once a month. 鈥淭hey ask a ton of questions and then come back a month later and say, 鈥楬ere鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to do.鈥� We鈥檙e really fortunate.鈥�
Morton says he鈥檚 made some of his best friends working as a student EMT.
鈥淭urns out it鈥檚 one of my favorite things to do here,鈥� says Morton, who hopes to work as an EMS field supervisor while in grad school. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a community I really connected with, and I love the rush of responding to a call. You never know what鈥檚 going to happen.鈥�
Between classes, SGA meetings and being on call up to 80 hours a week as a student EMT, there鈥檚 not much free space on Morton鈥檚 calendar. Yet he still finds time to run his own business managing the sound system at area gymnastics meets.
It all started in middle school, when Morton volunteered to run the music for floor routines at a gymnastics meet where his younger brother was competing. Morton鈥檚 name was passed along to other meet organizers, and soon he was being hired to work competitions around the state. Morton employs others (including a few UML students) to work meets nearly every weekend between January and May.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really been expanding,鈥� says Morton, whose audio business led to a spinoff job as a photographer at USA Gymnastics meets around the country.
鈥淚鈥檝e always had a knack for business, a little bit of an entrepreneur,鈥� says Morton, who started his first business in the sixth grade, going door to door with a friend and offering to mow lawns, rake leaves and shovel snow. Morton eventually bought out his friend (鈥淭hat鈥檚 what happens when your dad is a lawyer鈥�) and then sold his client list before heading to college.
Morton is glad he followed his parents鈥� advice and chose UML.
鈥淏eing involved with student government and EMS really pushed me to love this environment,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 never thought I would be this happy at UMass Lowell, but it鈥檚 where I belonged.鈥�