When graduate student Morgan Grace Steele started her undergraduate degree at the
University of South Carolina, she intended to be a lawyer and work in politics. But
after participating in the Honors College’s South Carolina Washington Semester program
her junior year — a program that gives students the opportunity to work and take
classes in the nation’s capital — she decided to pivot.
“I had a phenomenal time at my internship, but I realized that working in politics
can be demanding and cutthroat,” says Steele, who earned her undergraduate degree
in political science in May 2024. “I did some reflecting and realized that’s not what
I wanted to pursue careerwise.”
That reflection led her to thinking about her experiences as a student and peer leader
in University 101, a course that helps students transition to college life. U101 is
taught by faculty and staff with the assistance of undergraduate peer leaders and
graduate student leaders.
After conversations with her U101 co-instructor, parents and other professors, she
decided to pursue a master’s in higher education and student affairs.
“As a co-leader, I grew in confidence when it came to being able to facilitate and
create lessons for the class,” says Steele, who is from Moncks Corner, South Carolina.
“I learned so much about stepping into a role of student support, even though I was
still an undergraduate student. I would not be in the higher ed master’s program if
I didn’t have that experience as a peer leader. It was incredibly affirming and helped
me renavigate what I wanted to do long-term.”
I'm a walking testament to the fact that your first-year experience can really shape the rest of your life and pathway, especially at USC.
When she started college in fall 2020, she did not have many opportunities to meet
people and attend classes in-person due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place. Her
U101 course was an exception, allowing her to connect with her peers in person and
helping to shape her experience at South Carolina.
“My peer leader Caroline played a huge role in not only making our class fun, but
realizing the opportunity we had to actually be together in a room three times a week
for 50 minutes to get to know each other and build community,” she says. “I think
that Caroline saw the opportunity that she had to impact my class. Because of her,
I immediately knew being a peer leader is something I wanted to do.”
Now, she teaches U101 and is also a graduate assistant at Preston Residential College
for Leadership, one of the living and learning communities at USC, where she plans
programming for students, advises student organizations and manages the Preston Scholars
Program.
This summer, she will be working at the University of Alabama in the parent and family
programs office assisting with programming for the supporters of future Alabama students
during summer orientation sessions.
After graduating in May 2026, she would like to work in student affairs. Steele says
all her experiences at USC — from her classes and internships to her extracurriculars
— have made her feel adequately prepared for the workforce.
“I’m still trying to feel out what functional areas I enjoy most within student affairs,
but I know I want to work with students — that’s the highlight of my day every day.
I just want to support them,” she says. “There will always be a part of me that would
love to work with first-year students or students who are new to Carolina. I’m a walking
testament to the fact that your first-year experience can really shape the rest of
your life and pathway, especially at USC.”