O’SULLIVAN’S ACADEMIC JOURNEY ACROSS THE WORLD
Morgan O’Sullivan, director of communications in Student Financial Services, is one of many at Lynn with a lifetime of experiences that resulted in joining the Fighting Knight family 14 years ago.
Born and raised in Cork City, Ireland, he initially studied in Ireland at the University College Cork and the National University of Ireland, majoring in government with a minor in economics. Afterwards, O’Sullivan furthered his studies and received his Master of Science in commerce.
After finishing college, O’Sullivan taught in both Ireland and London, serving as a certified elementary school teacher. His life changed in 1999 when he came to the United States to work with Lynn’s Pine Tree Camps summer program. There, O’Sullivan ultimately found his forever home and his wife of now 13 years.
In his first few years at Lynn, he taught contemporary geopolitical affairs and economics. O’Sullivan would work in Student Financial Services during the day while lecturing at night.
“I was busy, but it was a great experience,” said O’Sullivan. “It allowed an ideal platform for valuable feedback from the students, which I could incorporate in the classroom moving forward.”
O’Sullivan had a meteoric rise through teaching at Lynn. From the outset, students were intrigued by his two capacities on campus, particularly how he succeeded in both areas.
“People were surprised that I could teach [when I first started]; they didn’t know my background,” said O’Sullivan. “However, after my first year I was asked to coordinate the course for business life skills. The very next year, I was asked to redesign the program and it became Lynn curriculum.”
All the while, O’Sullivan continued to advance in Student Financial Services. Beginning as a specialist, he very quickly assumed the role of director of communications, with October marking his fifteenth year in the office.
Aside from working in Student Financial Services, O’Sullivan earned his Doctor of Education degree at Lynn this past May. This opportunity truly brought his international transition full-circle.
“I had the opportunity to teach in an American classroom, study in an American classroom, teach in an English classroom, teach in an Irish classroom and also study in an Irish classroom,” said O’Sullivan. “I feel very fortunate to have partaken in so many different types of education. Each of them were very different; it was interesting to see.”
As part of his doctorate, he developed the iBook Your Money, Your Way, a guide to help college students through the world of financial literacy. This book was written for students curious about finance and life skills, and it also serves as a tool for professors as a starting point for class discussion.
“This book is not a product of Lynn University; this is a product of Morgan O’Sullivan,” said O’Sullivan. “The book already has 250 downloads and is free to all members of the Lynn community.”
O’Sullivan involves himself in multiple areas across campus, whether in Student Financial Services or in the classroom. Regardless of where he finds himself, his Irish educational background has allowed him to grow on a continual basis.
