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Morgan Oliver, Leader and Influencer
4/15/2009
Writer: Bill Gibbs, 979-777-0171, billgibbs@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION -- “I want to make a difference in the Corps,” Morgan Oliver said. “I want to influence people’s lives for the better.”
These two goals--making a difference and influencing people through her leadership-- motivate Oliver, a junior Spatial Sciences major from Burkeville, Texas, and the 2009-2010 Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets deputy commander.
As second in command of the nation’s largest Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program—and the largest and oldest student organization on the Texas A&M campus, according to university sources, she will have ample opportunity to fulfill her goals. In her new role with the 1,700 member Corps of Cadets, she will serve under Cadet Colonel Brent Lanier and be directly in charge of all Corps Staff functions, including public relations, operations, information management and inspection process.
It is a role Oliver does not take lightly.
A mission to positively influence others
“The Corps is a leadership organization,” she said. “Everything we do is designed to build leadership abilities. I believe in that mission and see this new assignment as a way to both build my leadership skills and positively influence many others. My duties will now deal at a Corps-wide level. I will assist in setting the standards for the Corps.”
As second in command, she will operate somewhat behind the scenes, Oliver said, “but I have seen that people behind the scenes can have a huge influence on people, and I want to provide that influence.”
Prepared to lead
Her three years in the Corps have prepared her for her new responsibilities, she said. She directed the Nichols’ Rising Leaders Conference, put on for sophomores in the Corps. She is the First Regiment’s inspector general sergeant, chaplain for her company, Company S-1, and also proudly wears the RV cord--signifying her membership in the Ross Volunteers, the official honor guard for the Governor of Texas.
Oliver has been preparing to the lead the way for most of her life.
She was in the top 10 percent of her high school graduating class and participated in multiple high school leadership capacities. A daughter of a naval officer, who himself is an Aggie (Class of 1977) and former member of Corps Company C-2, she not only traveled the world, but grew up understanding successful command structures and the effect positive leadership can have on the lives of military personnel.
Spatial Sciences: A major for better decision-making
Even her major lends itself to leadership.
Spatial Sciences, taught in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, uses advanced technology such as geographic information systems, global positioning and remote sensing to solve problems. Students in this area of study learn to interpret aerial photographs and satellite images, and gain a broad understanding of computer applications and database management.
“Better information means better decision-making,” Oliver said. “What I learn in my major will be directly applicable to both my military career and my future plans, whether they include the military or not.”
A pioneering role
As an undergraduate at Texas A&M, Oliver also serves in a pioneering leadership role. She is only the third female deputy commander in the Corps’ 133-year history—a significant accomplishment in an organization that was all male for nearly a century and still continues to attract far more men than women.
“I realize that not only am I second in command, I am also the first woman in 10 years to be selected to this position,” she said. “I know that I have a special responsibility to demonstrate leadership to the other women in the Corps and to earn the respect of every member, male or female.”
Oliver officially will begin her duty as deputy commander in the fall, but already is preparing for the job.
“It will be an honor to be able to lead my peers and fellow cadets as the Corps of Cadets deputy commander,” she said. “I plan to apply what I have learned throughout the years, and using it to make a lasting impact on the lives of those I serve.”
Oliver plans on taking a commission in the United States Navy following graduation. After four years of naval service, she hopes to either work with naval intelligence or Department or leave from military service to pursue a career with NASA.
For more information:
• Corps of Cadets
• Ecosystem Science and Management--Spatial Sciences
