Not every student has a clear career path when they first step on their college campus but that was not the case for men's golf assistant coach and golf alumnus Adam Morris '19 when he arrived at Baldwin Wallace in the fall of 2015.
Morris, a native of nearby Grafton, knew from the age of eight that someday he was going to help others as a dentist.
"It is an interesting story," recalled Morris. "Our family dentist, who grew up with my mom, taught me the greatness of helping others and how fulfilling it is to be a dentist. I will never forget the words Dr. Nagy spoke to me that day as he examined mine and my sister's teeth. He told me that if I wanted to become a dentist that I could work for him one day. I have held onto those words ever since. And to this date, I am working for Dr. Nagy as a dental assistant, and he has guided me throughout this entire process of preparing, applying and getting accepted into dental school."
The road from aspiring dentist to dental student ran through Midview High School and all the way to BW, where he also decided to continue playing golf.
"I decided on BW based on its reputation for academics and the friendliness of the community," stated Morris. "The beauty of the campus and being close to home were additional factors as well. I was not certain if I would play golf in college, but Coach Schneider was the sole reason why I decided to play. He is genuinely a great person and a supportive coach both on and off the course."
The balancing act that student-athletes face between academics, athletics and being a member of the campus community is a difficult one. This was truly exemplified for Morris in the midst of his career pursuit.
"As a member of the golf team, I was not the best player," Morris jokingly commented. "Considering the amount of time I had to dedicate toward academics, I did not have as much time as I would have liked to practice on my game. I knew that my scores would not be the best at times, but I can say that I had the backs of my brothers on the team. I promoted a positive environment and shared many laughs with the whole team. To this day, I still believe we had the most fun as a golf team in the entire OAC."
Once his four-year career on the course came to an end, Morris was focused on getting into one of the top dental schools in the country but, while he was waiting for his acceptance letter, he returned to be Schneider's assistant.
"Being an assistant coach this past season was a blast," reminisced Morris. "I was able to support Coach Schneider and my brothers through another season but from a different perspective. By being an assistant coach, I was able to experience the other side and what it entailed to run a tournament, rather than just being an athlete that is competing. It was undoubtedly an eye-opening experience. I was blessed with the opportunity to take on the position and to contribute to the team from a different perspective. Many life-long memories were made, and an infinite number of laughs were shared. It was definitely a great time that I will remember for the rest of my life."
As the legendary John Denver once sang, "Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong, West Virginia," Morris will enter the West Virginia University School of Dentistry as a member of the class of 2024. Getting into dental school is not an easy one and, for West Virginia, it was no different for Morris. West Virginia only accepted 48 applicants last year and of those 48, 22 of them were West Virginia residents while the other 26 applicants were from out of state.
"West Virginia was one of my top choices when applying to dental school," commented Morris. "I applied to a variety of schools during the application process - mainly the dental schools within and surrounding the state of Ohio."
"I felt extremely welcomed from the community as I participated in the interview at West Virginia," said Morris. "As the day went on, many signs indicated that this school was a home away from home. A week later, I received the call that I was accepted into their program. I had a deadline to decide on the offer and, after discussing it over with my family, we agreed that West Virginia was the place to be. I am blessed to be one of the 48 students accepted into the class of 2024."
Becoming a dentist is a tough path to follow, but Morris knows he would not be able to achieve his long term goal without a lot of important and inspiring people in his life.
"I have many inspiring people who have made me the man I am today and my success possible," commented Morris. "First and foremost, I have to give it up to my family. They have my back through everything. Without them, none of this would be possible. Being accepted into dental school is a vast accomplishment alone, but they know I have no limit to my dreams and that there is much more to come after dental school."
Morris continued, "I have so many others that have helped me along this path and I could list so many more. I want to thank Coach Schneider as well as professors Dr. Nye and Dr. McCargar, who have been there for me from academic struggles to providing me professional advice and dental school assistance, during my time at BW. Finally, Dr. Scott Nagy and Dr. Dennis Pettit, who have taught me the beauty of hard work and the reward of helping others, have nurtured my growing interest in dentistry and have always been behind me throughout this entire journey."
Morris is leaving Berea and the Buckeye State for the Mountain State, but he knows BW has set him up to be successful.
"I want to thank the entire University of BW for turning me into the person I am today," said Morris. "Of course, like any student, you experience the highs and the lows, the success and the struggles and sometimes even life-changing moments. It is easy to think as a student that somethings are not fair or something is way harder than it should be. But, what you do not realize as a student is that those moments are what separates you from students from other universities/colleges. The education that BW provides is the steppingstone for achieving greatness. Utilize these hard times to grow and excel not only as a student but also as an individual. Trust and confide in your professors as they are there to guide you along the path."
"I am proud to represent myself as a Yellow Jacket as I continue my educational career at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry. Thank you to all who I have met at BW, who have supported me, shared laughs with me and everyone who has been a part of this successful journey with me. I am proud to be a BW alumnus, and I am excited for what the future has to hold. Always remember, the sky is the limit."