Meet Morgan – Focused, Grounded, and Future-Ready

Someone once asked me, “When you were in your early twenties, who told you they believed in you?” Honestly, besides my parents and a few great teachers, I couldn’t think of anyone. Especially not someone of the professional caliber as most of you reading this. That’s always stayed with me.

So now, I’m making it a point to say it out loud: These young leaders have incredible promise, are the real deal and I will always be in their corner. And Morgan Finley, today’s spotlight in my “Our Future Is in Good Hands, Your Next-Gen Leaders” series, is certainly one of them.

Morgan Finley, UC Davis Class of 2025, just earned her degree in Computer Science. But if you’re only reading the line on the diploma, you’re missing the real story. Morgan didn’t just study CS, she owned it. Through late nights in coding labs, choosing the hard path when the easy one was available, and showing up with grit when no one was watching.

What stands out isn’t just her academic excellence (which is exceptional), but her consistent leadership. She’s the kind of person you invest in. She makes me think of something Warren Buffett once said when he presented in person to my class, “If you could invest in one person, not their idea, but in them as an individual, who would it be?” For me, Morgan is one of those on the top of that list.

Now she’s stepping into a new role as a Digital Field Applications Engineer at Texas Instruments, and I have no doubt she’ll kill it. A quick note to her future team, you are incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to work with Morgan.  You’re working with not only a problem-solver but someone who owns challenges, delivers results, and elevates the people around her. 

And to Morgan,  I hope you know how deeply proud I am to say I’ve witnessed your journey. You are not just ready for this next chapter, you’ve earned it, through the grit, focus, and integrity that doesn’t just show up on resumes, but in real life.