A native of Booneville, Arkansas, Morris grew up aspiring to go to college. After high school, he enlisted in the military, which would allow him to earn educational benefits so he could realize his dream.

“I come from a small town and saw so many people just staying there. I wanted to get out and do something with my life,” says Morris. “The military was my way of giving my life a jumpstart.”

BJ Morris in Iraq

With his Vietnam-veteran father as an inspiration, Morris headed off to basic training in 2002. The Army posted him at Fort Hood, and in 2004, Morris deployed to Iraq.

Based at Camp Cooke in Al Taji, Iraq, he served on the communications team, providing phone and Internet service and securing voice communications and data for other military units. While members of the “Signal Brigade” don’t often venture into the battle zone, Morris volunteered for convoy missions and set up communications throughout Iraq.

“It was quite scary and hot traveling in convoys, but I felt a sense of pride being one of the few in the Signal Brigade unit out in the zone,” recalls Morris.

After 12 months in Iraq and another 12 months at Fort Hood, Morris moved to Austin. He went to work testing phone and computer chips and then enrolled at ACC.

“It felt great to start college, since that was a longtime goal,” says Morris. “At first the transition from the military to college was somewhat overwhelming, but ACC helped make it easier. Overall I loved the college experience.”

Morris intended to earn his degree in computer science, but an accounting course appealed to him, and he switched his major to business administration.

“BJ was a quiet force throughout the semester,” said Danielle Stanley, adjunct assistant professor of accounting and the instructor who helped inspire his major change. “With the experiences BJ has had, he has many options available to him. The fact that he takes his education and his future so seriously is refreshing. As he has done up to now, I fully expect him to continue finding success in whatever he does.”

Morris’ educational ambitions won’t end with his associate degree. He plans to go on to Texas State University this fall and pursue a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He hopes to work for one of the “big four” accounting firms one day and return to school for a master’s in public accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.

Throughout it all, Morris will remain committed to helping other veterans take advantage of the benefits they earned through their service. While at ACC, he has worked in the college’s Veterans Affairs office, which assisted 2,200 students in spring 2011.

“He is a great guy, very friendly and a fast learner,” said Terry Cotton, Riverside’s Veteran’s Affairs specialist. “Once he graduates, he will be an asset to the any organization that hires him.”

Terry Cotton, Riverside's Veteran's Affairs specialist, and BJ Morris

Morris encourages all veterans to take advantage of the assistance provided by ACC Veteran Affairs.

“Using your educational benefits as a veteran can be confusing,” said Morris. “The office can tell veterans things to do ahead of time since it can be a very slow process to get the veteran benefits. Also, there are benefits that a lot of veterans don’t know about, such as the Hazelwood Act, which gives even more tuition and fee exemptions for Texas residents.”

Morris credits the Army and ACC with giving him the foundation to do great things.

“The military made me even more motivated to complete my education,” says Morris. “Considering that my parents, grandparents, and two older brothers didn’t get their college degrees, I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

For more information about ACC’s Veteran Affairs office, visit austincc.edu/support/veterans or email [email protected].