In his 27 years of physical education experience, Ron Morrow has directed health, physical education and recreation departments for YMCAs, taught K-6 Physical Education, served as Physical Education Department Chair of Davidson College, and served as adjunct faculty member of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University and Barton College. Learn how to get and stay involved as we catch up with Ron!

• Why did you choose UNCG?
  • It was convenient to where I was working in Charlotte, NC. I started my Masters at UNCG and actually left Davidson to complete my degree at UNCG. It was familiar territory, and had the best faculty support. The support at UNCG was the key to everything. 
• What is your favorite memory of UNCG/HHS?
  • Getting to know the new Dean, Dr. Dave Perrin, at that time. I became really good friends with Dave over my time at UNCG. He got me involved in the philanthropic side of giving to UNCG. He was very creative at showing me how my funds could be used now and see the benefits of starting my scholarship immediately. When I was able to fully fund my scholarship, I was already used to giving thanks to Dave, so it was a natural progression
• What have you done since graduation / tell us about your career
  • After graduating, I was an Executive Director of the not-for-profit North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (NCAAHPERD) for 10 years and retired from that position in 2011. I also served as the Chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education at Davidson College. I was actually the first member of the athletic department to become a faculty member! 
• Do you have any advice for current students?
  • As much as we’ve become specialists, we also need to become generalists. The reality is that no one does one thing. You will likely have five or more careers in your life, that may or may not be in your field. To insulate or focus yourself only in one area may block you from realizing your other skills or joys. You never know what you may be interested in or enjoy as a career if you stay siloed. 
• Why did you choose to become involved as a donor?
  • Dean Perrin really got me involved by serving on a committee at the time. I got to know the inner workings before anyone ever asked me for my money. Once I saw how funding worked and how I could help students by creating a scholarship, I chose to give because I know this is a way to leave a legacy. The decision to give is a very personal one, but once you are able to see how this benefits the students and help them advance, it’s an easy one to make. Something people don’t realize is once a student has a project, if they can produce x number of dollars, then they can receive x number of dollars. Being able to set up a student by helping them gain the financial support they need to complete their research or schooling benefits them so much in the long run. 
• Do you have any message(s) about paying it forward?
  • Start now! Even if it’s only $25, you can start building up the dollars over time because they add up. We say “pay yourself first, and pay UNCG second.” You don’t have to give millions of dollars, but every year those smaller donations can surprise you when you look back at the giving history. Once you start and it’s doable, and as you feel comfortable, you can start raising that amount. Even if that’s years from now. Just start now!
    The other part of this is understanding where your money is going. You can choose where to give your donation, and by choosing where it’s going you can understand what it is going to help – whether that’s a student scholarship, a general fund to provide food to students, or a Department’s fund.
• What is your area of support at HHS?
  • Of course I support my scholarship – The Ron. G Morrow Graduate Fellowship – which supports graduate research in diversity in education and women’s health and wellness.
• What type of involvement do you have with UNCG and HHS?
  • My involvement was mostly on committees. I was on Dean Perrin’s committee which had a broad scope of advancement, data analysis, and operations.
• Would you encourage others to get involved? If so, in what way / why?
  • Read newsletters, know what’s going on, and look at what interests you. Find the thing that interests you that’s not happening and be comfortable bringing it up to someone (whatever that may be.) You can start something new with your spark!