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Warren Wilson College
Asheville, NC 28815-9000
Toll-Free: 1-800-934-3536
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Typical, hardly...
Ryan was your typical Biology major. After attending an arts boarding school in New York on a scholarship, he applied to several university-based theatre programs throughout the U.S. During his year in deferment from UCLA, he joined AmeriCorps, which led him to spend nearly four years traveling and working for various non-profit agencies. Working in cities like New York City, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Houston naturally sparked an interest in moving to the Swannanoa valley to study science at small liberal arts college that originated as a farm school for Appalachian boys.
While it all may seem incredulous, Ryan found that he was able to continue all of his academic and extracurricular interests at Warren Wilson. In the sciences, he found professors who made biology, chemistry, and mathematics understandable and applicable. At the end of his first year, he thought he would pursue an Environmental Studies major, but as time went on, his interest in all aspects of Biology grew. He completed his B.S. with a double major in Biology and Environmental Studies, and was also awarded a competitive research fellowship from the National Science Foundation to conduct original research that later became his thesis. He later presented this research at his induction to Sigma Xi - the Scientific Research Society.
The best part about the academic program at Warren Wilson for Ryan was his ability to pursue the sciences without jeopardizing his interests in other areas of liberal arts studies. "Many professors encouraged us to not limit ourselves to only science courses, and spoke to the value of an interdisciplinary education." Taking this to heart, Ryan got his money's worth and enrolled in nearly 18 credits every semester. He fulfilled all of his liberal arts requirements for artistic expression by performing in five productions at Warren Wilson and singing with the ensemble group known as the College Chorale.
Neither Ryan nor his family ever dreamed he would end up in the science laboratories in college. "I hated science in high school," Morra has stated several times, "but the faculty at Warren Wilson taught me in a completely different way. They showed me that being a scientist requires the same kind of creativity and innovation that I tap into as a performing artist." Ryan has been inspired by the field-based nature of so many of his classes, and professors' focus on the applying science to solving current problems. He wants to help other students find enjoyment in scientific exploration, and will do so in his first job after graduation.
This coming year, Ryan will be teaching science and interdisciplinary courses at an alternative high school in Estes Park, CO called the Eagle Rock School. At the end of his year of teaching, Ryan will be given a Colorado teaching license with endorsement to teach secondary science. He has already been invited to assist in the theatre productions if he so desires.