Morgan Burrell: A Natural Leader

Four year senior Morgan Burrell leans back in his chair, scanning over the motivational poem “If ––” by Rudyard Kipling dangling above his desk. One section reads, “If you can walk with crowds and keep your virtue,/ Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,/ If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,/ If all men count with you, but none too much.” The poem describes Burrell perfectly; his outgoing yet humble personality makes him an influential role model to many and a loving friend to others.

Burrell originally planned to attend an all boy’s Catholic school in his hometown in New Jersey. While Burrell had previously fallen in love with Exeter through an admissions presentation, financial constraints and the distant campus barred his ability to attend.

After further research, Burrell discovered the financial aid program Exeter offered and begged his parents to let him apply. Ever since, he has been grateful for the opportunities donors and alum’s have provided him with through financial aid.

“I have forever been so grateful for the Exeter financial aid,” Burrell said. “Exeter has shaped my life so much for the better and I owe so much to these people that I don’t even know.”

However, when Burrell first arrived at the Academy, he lacked the humility to appreciate his unforeseen opportunity. According to Burrell, before Exeter, he felt that he was “a big fish in a small pond.” At his old school, he was considered one of the smartest, most athletic and mature students.

One of Burrell’s first life changing experiences came when he tried out for the lacrosse team and got cut. He learned how to accept his faults and work to fix them, instead of covering them up.

"When you need him, he’s there for you. If I need someone to laugh with, he’ll laugh with me. If I need someone to cry with, he’ll cry with me...He really, really cares for people."

As he recalls, “I was put on the JV team. It was heartbreaking. I remember Coach Bergofsky telling me that I had talent but that I had to work. I took that advice to heart, and I spent that summer and winter training every day.”

Just like on the field, Burrell realizes the pursuit of excellence as an ongoing task and even with the milestones that he has reached, he feels that boasting his accomplishments, whether they be athletic or scholarly, doesn’t raise him above anyone. Mark Trafton, Burrell’s Spanish teacher, admired this aspect of Burrell’s personality.

“I find Morgan to be very humble. He is not someone who is trying to prove to you how great he is and tell you the latest and greatest endeavor that he is doing. He is a person who lets his work speak for himself. You have to press him to get him to give himself some credit on things,” Trafton said.

As Burrell transformed into a more humble man, he kept his sense of confidence, discovering how to use it as a tool for leading and helping others. Senior Paul Lei called him a “natural” leader because of this.

“I don’t know if it’s the way he smiles, the way he really listens to you, or the way he speaks with confidence, but something makes people more inclined to listen to him,” Lei said.

Burrell exercises his leadership through various positions on campus, such as his role as a proctor in Cilley Hall. Burrell often plans dorm events, shares stories with dorm mates and eases the transition to Exeter life for the preps on the fourth floor. 

“Living next to Morgan has been quite the experience,” Billy O’Handley, a prep in Burrell’s hallway, said.  “During the beginning of the year when I was rather bored on Saturdays, I always went to Morgan’s room to find some sort of entertainment and comfort. He is easy to talk to and was a great problem solver during my time of need.”

Likewise, Burrell believes his time as a proctor has helped him grow into a more empathetic person, especially towards struggling underclassman. Whenever he is approached by a student worrying about a first EP date or a bad biology grade, he consciously thrusts himself back into the mindset of that student and learns how to relate with them better.

As a role model for younger students, Burrell has also noticed how his actions directly affect their success. He is reminded everyday of how important he is to the Cilley underclassmen, and has really taken his job to heart.

“I think my dorm mates really taught me what it meant to be a part of a community and a stand up guy,” Burrell said. “I now know what it means to fall asleep with yourself at night thinking that you did something good or helped someone.”

Even outside the dorm, Burrell finds himself constantly socializing with students and teachers. Trafton described him someone who knows how to listen with “a sincere type of attention” and a great friend. “He exemplifies true Exonian behavior when conversing with his peers and his teachers,” he continued.

“I truly enjoy the fact that he is such an outgoing and personable person,” Trafton said. “Often, when we would have class that had a free period after it, Morgan would stay after and talk. Morgan and I have figured out things we are both interested in and it makes for fun conversations.”

Upper Evan Thomas agreed with Trafton, emphasizing Burrell’s unique and genuine care for others. Thomas explained, “When you need him, he’s there for you. If I need someone to laugh with, he’ll laugh with me. If I need someone to cry with, he’ll cry with me. Just the other day I woke up to find a picture of Michael Jordan hitting the game-winning shot against the Utah Jazz taped to the front of my door. He really, really cares for people.”

Burrell shows compassion not just for teachers and friends in his dorm, but also as part of the Discipline Committee for his fellow members and people being reviewed. Burrell commented on his time spent on the DC.

“Being a part of the Discipline Committee has taught me the that you can never judge people based on their worst day, and you should always take in consideration the many factors that go into someone’s life,” Burrell said.

Burrell takes the compassion from all other aspects of his life, and, as a head tour guide, brings it to all of the tours he gives. He strives to better the Exeter community by inspiring awe in speculative students as he shows them the academy’s campus.

“I love being able to see their faces light up as they realise this place is awesome, because that is how I really do feel when I wake up most mornings,” Burrell said. “This place is awesome.”

Having toured so many students, Burrell sees the true beauty of what Exeter has to offer, and he often dreams about one day returning and teaching math during his late fifties.

“I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped shape me into the man I hope to someday be. The four years I’ve spent here have been the best of my life, and I owe so much of who I am to this school and the people in it,” Burrell said. “I will always be in debt to Phillips Exeter Academy.”