Morgan Badgley '18 Recruiting Profile

    I am the oldest of 7 children. My parents separated when I was very young and each remarried making my family even bigger and more full of love. At my mom’s house, I have a step-sister who is thirteen, a half-sister who is twelve, and a half-brother who is two. At my dad’s house, I have three half-brothers: ten, eight, and four. Being the oldest in a large mixed family is not everyone’s ideal family picture, but I have taken a completely different perspective. I use it as my inspiration to show that while being in a large mixed family is not always easy due to the occasional custody battle, financial restrictions, and the chaos that comes with two sets of parents and seven kids. However, the so-called cons will only prepare me for the amazingly imperfect life that is ahead of me. The fact that I am the oldest child, at seventeen, gives me the opportunity to set an example for all of my younger siblings which is one of the reasons why I have chosen to be involved with my community and school and well as choosing to pursue the academic path that will allow me to meet my future personal and professional goals. Having a large support group and plenty of input has made setting myself to high standards and working towards my goals so much easier and more rewarding.

            Learning the values of hard work, determination, persistence, and creativity came fairly quickly being part of a large family. With so many kids and even adults around, each with their various needs I learned that things were not just handed to you. I was going to have to work for the things that I wanted, much like the real world. I have also learned that everyone has a different way of setting and achieving their ultimate goals. Being exposed to a variety of different personalities and ways of thinking has taught and encouraged me to be more open-minded and accepting of ideas unlike my own. This strong foundation of hard work and creative problem solving has allowed me to overcome many struggles and achieve many successes in my journey so far. And as I take these lessons along with many others into my future I look forward to working with other strong-willed, determined, imaginative individuals in order to make ground-breaking discoveries and progress in the field of biomedical science. I can’t imagine having a life any different than the one I have been given. The imperfects create the perfect conditions for me to inspire, pursue, and achieve my perfectly imperfect life.