Memories of Dr. Morgan

Dr. Margaret Morgan was invested, dedicated to her family, friends, students and fellow teachers. Her love of math was contagious as she made students turn from calculus cynics to devoted mathematicians. Her hard fought battle with cancer ended Nov. 24, leaving many people grieving.

“The person she was and the testimony she had resonated with everyone,” former student Amanda Wise, class of 2021, said.

Morgan’s background as a New Yorker connected her to many people in the Cedar Shoals community including Jennifer Schmidt and Logan Garrett, both in the math department. 

“I felt connected to her because she’s not from the South and neither am I, so we both kind of commiserated  over differences in culture and what we did as kids growing up,” Garrett said.

“We’re both from New York, so that was something we connected with — we were both very direct,” Schmidt said.

Morgan’s achievements in the mathematics field inspired Garrett.

“She always aspired to be an upper level math teacher, so it was awesome supporting her in reaching that goal, because she finally became a precalculus and calculus teacher. We don’t see a lot of women teaching upper level math, so I know she was really proud of that achievement,” Garrett said. 

Morgan’s former students recall her support both in and out of the classroom. 

“She gave me advice for my schoolwork, but she also encouraged me to do things outside of school,” former student Hadiza Sarr said. “She didn’t judge me for what I wanted to do. She just encouraged me and advised me.”

“She’d always come to our soccer games. I’ve talked to a couple other students who I’ve graduated with, and how we’d be playing soccer and hear Dr. Morgan in the stands screaming for us,” Wise said.

Throughout her battle with cancer, Morgan never failed to be there. While getting treatment outside of Georgia, her lasting impact on her students’ education and overall support continued through Zoom.

“Only people who have had cancer or a life threatening illness can understand walking around with fear and dread and anxiety. It is debilitating. So having something like teaching is such a welcome distraction,” Garrett, a breast cancer survivor, said. 

“She’d ask me, ‘Can you check on these two, make sure they’re doing okay?’ I knew she was doing as much as she could until she couldn’t do it anymore,” Schmidt said.

Stefan Smith, a colleague and previous math support teacher with Dr. Morgan, who now coaches her son’s basketball team at Clarke Central, notes Morgan’s unwavering commitment. 

“She was in Houston getting treatment, but she came on Zoom to talk to the parents about setting up the schedule for the concession stands,” Smith said.

Students also reminisce on this dedication that went beyond, even when Morgan was struggling herself.

“I remember the day of my graduation, obviously she couldn’t be there, but she watched the livestream and she emailed me the same day about how she loved my speech and how proud she was,” Sarr said.

Some of Morgan’s friends recall fond memories of her humorous spirit.

“When she was at Cedar, an altercation broke out, and I said ‘Bend down and act like you’re tying your shoes,’” Smith said. “She always said, ‘Well, one thing I learned from coach is tie your shoes.’”

Many friends and colleagues struggle to describe Morgan’s essence with one word, but some came to mind.

“She was blunt, but in a good way. You always knew what you were getting from her,” Schmidt said.

“It’s hard to put it in one word, but I would say kind. She was one of the kindest people,” Smith said.

Sarr feels confident that students who knew Morgan will go on to do great things because of her influence.

“Just imagine the legacy of all the people that she has impacted. Her students are going out there and doing so many amazing things and they were all impacted by her. She is a part of all of our legacies, so it’s sad that we can’t see her again, but that’s also motivation to honor her in the best way possible,” Sarr said.

Morgan’s passing at 53 proves that life is short, and many are reflecting on life’s impermanence.

“Her alma mater, Davidson, and my alma mater, Michigan State, played in March Madness, and so we wagered with each other that whoever won had to buy the other one ice cream,” Garrett said. “My team won. I never got an ice cream cone for her, which is okay, she was busy fighting as hard as she could.