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Alumni Spotlight

Economics professor bullish on Moraine Valley

Cyril Morong is among the many students who believe Moraine Valley Community College changed their lives.

"Coming out of high school, I was a so-so student. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life, but I thought I should at least try college," he said.

Enrolling at Moraine Valley turned out to be a life-changing decision for Dr. Morong, who went on to earn his bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in economics from Washington State University. The teachers at Moraine Valley made the class material interesting, he said, and it was then that he thought, "Wow. I really like studying and learning." He credits Moraine Valley for preparing him for the rigors of class work at the University of Chicago. "My teachers at Moraine took their subject matter very seriously. I had to buckle down. The tests weren't easy and I had to study if I wanted to do well. That's what made all the difference for me," he said.

Dr. Morong took economics classes at Moraine Valley because it was required, but he became motivated because of his instructors. "Plus, while reading the textbook in my macro econ class, something popped out at me and it made me realize this is what I wanted to major in," he said.

"I was inspired intellectually at Moraine Valley," Dr. Morong said. "The teachers changed my attitude about what I thought I could do academically."

Read more about Dr. Morong, who is now an economics professor at San Antonio College, the largest single-campus community college in Texas.