Learning to embrace the unknown
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When Duncan Morrison was young, his mother returned to school to earn an associate degree while working night shifts in nursing and caring for him.
Watching her balance all of these responsibilities helped Morrison develop an appreciation for healthcare and lifelong learning.
But navigating a major, four-year university had challenges that his family couldn’t always help him with.
“It’s very much like you don’t have a rough draft for how your college experience is supposed to look,” says Morrison, a senior majoring in kinesiology.
The University's President's Emerging Scholars Program helped him build that roadmap. Through its Emerging Summer STEM program in 2023, he learned about campus resources, tutoring and the demands of science, technology, engineering and mathematics coursework.
He later became a peer mentor for the program, took on a programming supervisor role and now serves as a lead peer mentor, where he helps other first-generation students navigate college and connect with others who are facing similar challenges.
Following his undergraduate studies, Morrison says he hopes to pursue a master's degree in public health and eventually apply to medical school. His long-term goal is to become an OB-GYN.
When he talks to other students, he encourages them to keep an open mind and be OK with deviating from their original plan.
For Morrison, personal and professional growth often begins with a willingness to step into unfamiliar situations.
“The best type of growth, whether it’s personal, professional, or in any other aspect, happens when you’re uncomfortable,” Morrison says.
Explore more stories in the series
First-generation students find community and support at the University of Minnesota
Explore more stories in the series
First-generation students find community and support at the University of Minnesota
