Alumnae Morgan Knowlton awarded prestigious title
Alumnae Morgan Knowlton, class of 2016, pictured in Indonesia with a monkey in the background. Knowlton graduates from Georgia Tech this year and has been honored as the sole representative of Georgia Tech to represent the system’s “highest scholastic ideals.”
Starr’s Mill alumnae Morgan Knowlton, class of 2016, is graduating from Georgia Tech this year after having had some remarkable experiences. Her success is now noted by becoming the sole honoree representing Georgia Tech as a student that reflects their “highest scholastic ideals.” This was awarded from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, for Academic Recognition Day.
“I am very glad to have attended Starr’s Mill, because I think that it prepared me really well for the rigor of Georgia Tech,” Knowlton said. “In terms of rigor, [Georgia Tech] really felt like a continuation of Starr’s Mill.”
Knowlton’s academic career was impressive from the start, having taken so many rigorous courses especially during her senior year. Knowlton’s academic career was so impressive, and interesting, that she graduated first in her class and yet was not Valedictorian because that title is determined after the fall semester.
Throughout her high school days, Knowlton’s greatest passion was participating in the marching band through color guard. Having been involved all four years, and captain of the color guard her last two, some of her most favorite memories from high school come from her marching band experiences.
“I did not continue color guard in college, but I really liked the dancing aspect of color guard, so in college I pursued ballroom dancing instead,” Knowlton said. “I also took up swing and salsa as well.”
Though Knowlton may appear to have had an intended career from the beginning, she discovered her passion for what she does now almost accidentally. It all began with a simple trip to her college campus during her junior year of high school. She’s now a few months away from graduating with a major in industrial engineering and with a minor in business and engineering.
“Industrial engineering is a bit of a different [kind of] engineering. We get made fun of sometimes, [and] we get called ‘imaginary engineers’,” Knowlton said. “I really liked AP Statistics, and industrial engineering uses a lot of the same as AP Statistics.”
Through Georgia Tech’s outlets, Knowlton has been able to find the opportunity to intern and do data analytics for Disney last year.
“The first semester I was in the costuming department, which was absolutely magical because I got to see Mickey and do data analytics in the context of the costumes and characters at Disney,” Knowlton said. “And the second semester, I did revenue management for the resorts at Disney.”
Georgia Tech’s opportunities for Knowlton to enjoy her college experience as she approaches her career didn’t just stop in the United States though.
Their study abroad programs allowed Knowlton to travel to countries like Georgia Tech’s campus in Lorraine, France, and to Singapore, Vietnam, and Shanghai. These trips contain some of her favorite memories and her journeys to foreign countries are far from over.
“Singapore is absolutely beautiful, Vietnam was amazing, and getting to sit on the Great Wall of China was a little overwhelming,” Knowlton said. “You heard about it so many times, and then you see it in front of you, or getting to see the Forbidden City, the Forbidden Palace–all those things that I had heard about and seemed a lifetime away, I actually saw them with my own eyes.”
After graduating this year, being Georgia Tech’s honoree undergrad, Knowlton hopes to travel some more and go to Spain to teach English. She intends to come back to the U.S. for graduate school
“If you want to do something, find a student a few years older than you who has already done it and ask for their help,” Knowlton said. “Because people are generally happy to help you, they just have to know how.”