Interviewer: Hi and welcome to the podcast. Today we’re Hector Morales, formerly with the US Army, and he also was an American Military University PhD student and Behavioral Health Researcher. We have a great conversation lined up next for you, right after this brief message.
Interviewer: Hi Hector, and welcome to the program. I wanted to start with talking a little bit about being a single dad, because so often people associate being a single parent with single moms, who then go back to school to earn a degree. What was that like for you?
Hector: One of the things that, being a single dad, it’s a very unique experience and being together with single moms and in that kind of setting, it was kind of surreal almost only because I was basically the only one there. So having him since the age of two, my son obviously, and raising him all the way through has been probably one of the best experiences of my life. I say it all the time, we watch each other grow up. So having him with me was just something that being together was just, it helped everything set the foundation together for everything that was basically going forward. So it’s quite an experience. It’s something that when I look back at it now, it helps shape who I am, so.
Interviewer: So you’ve had your son since he was two?
Hector: Yes, it’s when his mom and I separated. One of the things that I took charge of was being a single parent. And she’ll even tell you to this day, that was one of the best experiences ever because like I said, it helped myself grow up, maturity, responsibility, helped forge relationships that to this day now, him and I are the best of friends. I’m still his dad obviously, but it helped create an environment for him, which is helping him succeed and in essence helps me succeed as well.
Interviewer: Sounds like you’ve been quite a powerful role model for your son. Thanks for sharing that. Let’s talk about your education journey. Tell me about your background.
Hector: My education journey, my working in healthcare, I started basically working for a diabetic shoe company and my foray in the public health was making diabetic inserts and ankle foot authorities for ambulatory patients. And I did that for about 10 years and the company relocated to Long Island, New York. And one of the things I took away from that, the CEO, who I’m still friends with this day, says to me, “The knowledge you gained here is going to help you go forward. You need to go back to school and pursue the education.” So I decided to do that.
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And as I’m doing my research, here we are. AMU showed up on my screen and I decided to go into public health. And that was in 2015. And now here we are seven years later about to get my PhD.
Interviewer: Congratulations, Hector, that’s quite an accomplishment.
Hector: It’s been an amazing journey. It really has. From everything from the beginning, from starting, I remember being nervous for the college 100 class and now I’m writing a dissertation. It’s almost unreal. But I’m getting to live everything over the past seven years. It’s literally a dream come true. And it all started with the aspect going back for my first degree.
Interviewer: So you say “going back to college”, had you gone to college before?
Hector: I had almost a little over 15 years ago. But at that time, it wasn’t time yet basically. I started, didn’t finish, but I also knew this time when I went back that I was going to see it all the way through. Now when I got my first degree, I was going to literally stop, but I decided to go for the second degree because I was told during the interview, if you want to get into research, which I’m a part of now, you need a master’s degree. So I said, “Well I just graduated from AMU. I want to go for the second degree.” They have a master’s degree for public health. Here we are. Yeah. It was almost by accident, but it turned out to be a blessing.
Interviewer: Yeah, AMU really does have robust programs in a number of disciplines. You mentioned growing up, you and your son growing up together. What was it that you grew up into, to prepare you for going back to school?
Hector: I think one of the big things was responsibility. Taking charge of a situation, looking at something and not only starting it but finishing it. I get asked all the time now, what drives you? Fear of failure. Fear of failure drives me now more than anything else. I don’t want myself nor him to look at me and say, you started, didn’t finish. That’s what drives me more than anything else. The responsibility attached to that as well.
Interviewer: That’s so profound. I think the flexibility really helps students get to that finish line. It gives you the confidence. Tell me, what’s the impact of earning a degree on your life right now?
Hector: I think one of the things more than anything else is my background. Where I’m from, people that I’ve known, have seen, I’ve seen basically failed, essentially life. If you put your mind to something, you can do it. There’s no excuses. If you want to do it, you can just do it. There’s no sense of not trying. If you’re going to fail, like we talked about this, if you’re going to fail, it’s okay. You have to try. And that’s one of the things that I’ve literally instilled not only into my son but myself as well over these past six, seven years.
Hector: And it’s been fascinating to watch not only his growth but my growth as well. And one of the things that I’m fully aware of, I’m fully cognizant that people are watching. I’m fully aware that I inspire some people, I don’t think about it too much to be honest with you, but I am fully cognizant of it. I’m aware that there’s people that’s coming up behind me that look at me and
say, if you can do it, I can do it too. And I want to inspire people to do that because honestly, like I said, if I can do it, so can you.
Interviewer: What has that done, that journey, how has that enriched your life at this point in your life? Both the bachelors, the masters, and now almost the PhD. How has that enriched who Hector is?
Hector: Well obviously you mentioned a couple of things. I mean with higher education comes better opportunities monetarily, career wise, things along those lines. But you have to be aware that when you’re doing things like that, people are watching. Like I said, people are watching.
For me personally, it’s given me a sense of accomplishment knowing that I can do this. I know people that are watching are telling me you can do it. And I’m telling them as well, you can do it as well. It’s something, it’s almost like a pay it forward process more than anything else. So be fully aware, be humble at the same time. You don’t have to show off anything at all but be aware that you are inspiring people. You are. And it starts literally from the beginning. And my beginning was here, what we’re doing today, so.
Interviewer: When you decided to take that leap and say, I’m going and I’m going to see this through, what was it that led you to AMU?
Hector: I found AMU honestly by doing research online for online universities. Being a single parent, full-time employee, one of the things that I couldn’t do was go to a brick-and-mortar college. That was literally out of the question. So doing the research, going back and forth online, seeing the adaptability and the fit that AMU provide for me, that’s the reason why I chose AMU.
Interviewer: You mentioned the support of faculty and staff quite a bit in this conversation. As a single parent having that type of support, was there a moment that you can remember thinking, “Oh man, I’ve got my child going to school, I’ve got my job going on, and I’m just so thankful AMU designs programs with so much flexibility.
Hector: There’s a couple of professors in particular from AMU that would literally tell me as I’m going through certain things, whether it’s being a single dad, the responsibilities of having to wear all these hats where they would help provide assistance, tell me a certain assignments, you can hand this in a certain time, we’re going to work with you to get you to where you have to go. The staff there is amazing. Being a part of that and knowing that they’re there to help you was one of the best things ever. It was something that if you happen to fall behind, if you happen to lose your way, they’re there to help you get you back on that path. That was the greatest thing. So, the support behind it.
Interviewer: So when you were thinking about your master’s degree, you had a specific goal online. What can you tell me about this goal and why you got your masters?
Hector: My original goal was to get my undergrad and work in a setting where high school and college kids while I did some public health background and training them. And one of the things that I realized during my undergrad thesis was I like research and so the goal shifted, and I wanted to become a researcher and so I was able to get the master’s degree, apply for it
obviously, get the master’s degree and get into that aspect of public health. Because I realized a couple things. Number one, it’s something that I loved and number two, it’s something that I know I’d be good at. And there was other opportunities that presented itself throughout that process that opened some certain doors for me. And having the second degree, the MPH helped open those doors to where I’m at right now.
Interviewer: You talked about a “drawer full of rejection letters” before getting your masters. You mentioned overcoming your fear of failure and not letting it stop you.
Hector: One of the things that I learned through AMU was to keep going and I literally kept a folder of all the rejection letters for all the positions I was applying for in certain places, certain universities within the area. And I would look at it not as a detriment but was motivation. You’re going to hire me, somebody’s going to give me the chance, I cannot let this stop what I’m trying to do. Again, we talked about it earlier, no fear of failure, none. I fear not trying. That’s what I fear. And it’s a good motivational tool and it’s something that I use with my son obviously, we’re going to talk about him a whole lot obviously. And it’s that drive that gets me to where I have to go now, where I am right now. I would rather fall on my face than not try at all. And I have no problem with that.
Interviewer: That’s pretty remarkable, Hector. Tell me something, when you finally crossed the stage at commencement to receive your master’s degree from AMU, what was that like?
Hector: I use this word a whole lot. It was surreal.
Interviewer: Tell us more about that if you would.
Hector: Okay. Absolutely. Yeah. At commencement I was literally the first person to run across the stage and pick up my degree. It was a culmination of a lot of work, a lot of effort, team effort, a lot of people who are again, who are behind me, I can’t do this alone. No one does anything alone. Everybody from the AMU staff, my family, it was very surreal just walking across it well, running across it, grabbing it, coming across, seeing my son record me. Him and I don’t talk about it a whole lot, but I know that he watches everything that I do. And again, that’s motivation, for me it is.
Interviewer: How did receiving your degree from American Military University impact your world after that?
Hector: Other opportunities open up. You get to enjoy the fruits of your labor, you get to do what you love and when you do what you love, you don’t work at all. And I love what I do and again, I can go back to the beginning. It starts where everything at AMU, that was the beginning of this journey.
Interviewer: Let’s talk about your son and the impact your amazing journey has had on him. We know children absorb everything they experience. Tell me what have you observed about him observing you?
Hector: It’s funny, one of the things that I noticed is that he watches me follow my dream right now and this is what I’m doing, so why can’t I do that as well? And that’s where the motivation, inspiration comes from. So I say it constantly, I know it sounds kind of cliche, but I know that he’s watching because he knows that if I can do it, he can do it too. And it’s something I’ve instilled into him over the years. Something really big. Follow what you love. There’s no age limit, there’s no gap, there’s no anything to that. I started my AMU journey at 40 years old, eight years later I’m about to be a doctor. It’s something that you can start whenever you want. For him, he sees it early. So he is following his path early, but he’s following it because he knows that I can do it. So again, it goes back to what I said before. I know that he’s watching and it inspires me as well.
Interviewer: That’s so powerful, Hector, thanks for sharing that with us. I wanted to ask you about you and your son; you’re into the martial arts, right? Tell me a little bit about that?
Hector: My martial arts journey started when I was 11 years old. I did it for about four or five years and I stopped for a long time. And no, me being a single dad and introducing him into the world of sports, martial arts was the last thing I showed him. And one of the reasons why I did that was because I didn’t want him to follow that path. And I remember him being eight years old, walking out of the karate studio, holding his hand and he looks up to me and says, “Daddy, this is the one.” And I looked at him and said, “Are you sure?” He said, “Yeah.” I said, “Because once you start, this is not stopping.” He was eight years old. His first teacher was my first teacher. I didn’t mention that before. And he was eight years old. He started and 13 years later he’ll be professional fighter within about a year, year and a half.
Hector: While he’s finishing his college degree is something we do together. He’s actually one of the instructors at the school. He’s actually my instructor now, which is kind of surreal. It’s something that’s fascinating. It’s fascinating to me because it got to a certain point where I was teaching and where I said, “I can’t teach you anymore.” And that’s why I found better coaches, better teachers for them. And he’s become something that I didn’t even think would be possible for me. And it’s cool that we do it together. We’ve been doing it together for 13 years now.
Interviewer: Wow. That’s so cool.
Hector: Yeah, it’s been an amazing journey. That part is very amazing to me. I love stopping him and saying, teach me this. And he gives me looks like, what? Yeah, you’re the teacher. I’m the student now. So it’s a fascinating relationship when it comes to that. So when we’re in class, there’s a big hierarchy of respect. He’s the teacher, I’m the instructor. So I have to show him a level of respect to when it comes to that. And I’ve seen people in class get weirded out by that. This is what it is. So it’s a fascinating thing to do. It is. And we both love it. I think I love it more than he does. Don’t tell him I said that. Edit for the highlighted text: Hector: Oh absolutely. He’s the teacher. I’m the student.
Interviewer: What does it mean to you to be able to do something like that with your son?
Hector: It means everything. It’s something that, it’s a commonality that we have together that we both enjoy. And I’m not even sure we’re fully cognizant how much we enjoy doing it together, but something that’s part of our lives, it’s ingrained in who we are. And you apply those things to
real life situations. No, you don’t never hear anybody say I play martial arts. That those aspects, the teaching, the knowledge, the learning. I’ve applied it to every other aspect of my life.
Education, the AMU, working where I work right now. You apply that to every aspect of your life. It’s a surreal feeling. I use that word a whole lot. It’s a very surreal feeling. It really is.
Interviewer: Tell me how your journey back to AMU has affected your son’s educational journey?
Hector: Okay. Absolutely. So my educational journey through AMU has had a positive effect on my son. He sees that I can do it, it’s helping him go forward with his educational journey. And he also knows that if he wants to go forward, it’s definitely a possibility.
Interviewer: So, was your son at the AMU Commencement with you?
Hector: Okay. Good story. So going there with him there, going to AMU commencement with my son was a very gratifying experience. Having there with me, seeing the journey that I’ve gone through and he’s been there every step of the way to see the culmination of it together, filming me, him hearing my name, him being there applauding me. It’s something that it was very, very satisfying to me. It was something that I wish everybody could experience. So having them there in the audience again, filming me, hearing my name, cheering me on, it’s something that you appreciate more than anything else. And it was an experience that, again, I wish everybody could experience something like that.
Interviewer: When you walk in the back and you see thousands of people there, can you describe, just walking in as you’re going up, just paint a picture of the whole space.
Hector: Walking in, seeing the thousands of people in there, all the festivities lined up with that. It was something that, when I’m looking back at it now, was one of the most gratifying experiences ever in my life. Again, hearing my name, the end journey of that, seeing what the reward was. Thinking about all the work put in, sleepless nights, writing, studying sacrifice, that was the big, that’s a very good word. The sacrifice involved to get to this point was something that, it was very, very, very gratifying. It was. Okay.
Interviewer: That’s terrific, Hector. Now tell me a little bit about your military experience.
Hector: So I’m US Army. I was stationed in Fort Jackson, South Carolina from 1992, like ’93, US Army Guard up to 1998. That helped paved the way for everything going forward. It’s a great experience. It’s something that honestly I thought my son was going to follow in which he did not, which is okay. I loved every second of it. The travel, the discipline, the history of being a part of such a great organization. I loved every second of it. Thinking about it now, I probably would’ve been a lifer, but it was something that I completely enjoyed. I would say looking back at it now, that was the foundation for everything. You see now what I’m doing now going forward.
Interviewer: How did your military background influence your decision in choosing AMU?
Hector: Putting it together, the discipline, again, the discipline involved. Being able to see certain things through and the gap in between military and what I’m doing now is huge. But that set the stage for me to go back to school, AMU, the military connection obviously, which was part of the process of in deciding where I wanted to go. So that was definitely a factor involved in choosing AMU.
Interviewer: Was there a GI bill that you had available?
Hector: There was, yes, there was.
Interviewer: And how did that work for you?
Hector: Well, back then when I started college, I didn’t finish it but the GI bill was a part of it. However, going forward 20 years later obviously, there was nothing there for, was nothing there for. So it was more loans, Pell Grants, scholarship, things along those lines.
Interviewer: When the pandemic started, you were working in a hospital OR, right?
Hector: I was. So when the pandemic started, I was working in an ambulatory surgical center. They actually shut us down and shifted a bunch of us to the hospital, to Bridgeport Hospital. And they gave many employees the choice of either taking time off or working. I chose to work through it. This is what we sign up for. Again, there was no fear in doing what I needed to do and there was no fear in working there. This is something that is a part of what you do when you’re in public health. And no one signed up to work in a pandemic. No one does. However, it’s something that can happen. And during the entire peak of COVID, I worked in the OR every day through good and bad. And there was a lot more bad than good.
Interviewer: So, what led you out of working at the OR in the hospital then? Was it the higher education school position?
Hector: The opportunities presented for more research as opposed to working in OR is the reason why I’m not working in the OR. Yeah.
Interviewer: Earlier you alluded to the way you grew up and where you’re from, tell me a little bit more about that.
Hector: So I grew up with a very good family. However, I grew up in what you would call in, what’s a good word here? Underprivileged environment more than anything else. An environment where basically the odds are against you. And being able to come out of that and have a successful career right now with AMU’s help obviously is something that I’m very proud of. And it goes back to what we were saying earlier. People are watching all the time. I look at it from my point of view. I’m very blessed, honestly, I probably shouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right now. However, you set your mind to something, you can do it. No one can tell you can’t do anything. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what you’re doing, who you are, you can do it.
What are you willing to do to get where you got to go?
Interviewer: How do you feel about where you are now?
Hector: Okay. Well I definitely feel comfortable where I am right now. I feel like I belong. I feel like this is where I need to be right now, where I can help people, where I can help my family, where I can help myself. It’s something that you come to terms whereas you progress forward. And it’s funny you mentioned the imposter syndrome thing because I know what that’s like. I do know that feeling. It’s something that we’ve talked about through education, through AMU. The feeling of knowing that this is where you need to be, you belong here, and more importantly you deserve to be here. And I don’t know if people really realize that until they become part of that journey themselves. I know for myself in the beginning I probably thought I didn’t belong. I do belong now.
Interviewer: Hector, you have this incredible drive and determination; where do you think that comes from?
Hector: Wow. I’ve never really thought about that before. I would say watching my family coming from where they’re coming from and being able to live their best life possible. Having my son live his best life possible. Knowing the fact that since I have these people around me that are doing successful things, I have to do this as well. I have no fear of failure. I don’t know how many times I’ve mentioned that already. I’m okay with falling on my face. It’s the drive to do something successful. I have this determination almost like a relentlessness where it’s okay no matter what the outcome is going to be, just get to the outcome.
Interviewer: What does the rest of your family think about this, and have they had similar experiences or different experiences in their lives?
Hector: So my sister just got her bachelor’s degree from a university and actually she just got confirmed about four days ago. So it goes back to what we were saying before. People are watching and she tells me all the time I’ve inspired her to go forward. My dad, my mom, they’ve pursued educational opportunities as well. So the foundation’s always been there. The question is how far do you want to go? And I’ve gone farther than anybody else. I’m not saying that with any kind of chip on my shoulder, this is just the reality situation. Watching them succeed is helping me succeed, is helping the ones who come behind me succeed. Which in this case is my son. Everybody’s always watching whether they realize it or not, directly or indirectly. So the driver is very family based. It’s something, again, something I’m very aware of, but it’s not something that I just put to the forefront.
Interviewer: So the foundation was in place, and then it was up to you to push the limits. And you certainly have. Explain to me the job that you have now and tell me what a normal day is like as a Behavioral Researcher.
Hector: So the biggest thing that I do more than anything else is bring participants in, patients if you will. And I help them obtain services, whether it anything from mental health to opioid use, depending on what their situation is. It could be anything from, excuse me, it could be anything from drug abuse to sex work to anything that runs across the board for whatever issues they’re having. And my job more than anything else is to collect data on them, research the data, apply it to whatever environment they’re in, and then help them get services going forward if there’s services available. So my day usually begins with about two or three people, bringing them in,
going over their history, their treatment history, their overdose history if possible, their medical history, looking over their data and pointing them in the right direction to see if they can get help.
Interviewer: So that data, does it go into a bigger database and helps people in general get services?
Hector: Yes.
Hector: And so it goes into a bigger database and then what happens is we take all that data and we start putting it into academic format. So say a certain community within the region has a certain amount of opioid use disorder. We can help form policy through research to help this particular region get services for that particular issue.
Interviewer: So that’s how it ties into public health?
Hector: Yes.
Interviewer: Okay. But that’s not where you want to be? You want to in academic research? Is that right?
Hector: Yes.
Interviewer: Okay. So now explain to me what academic research is and how you apply that to the larger world.
Hector: Okay, so what academic research more is collecting data, not applying it to behavioral health, but doing it for academic reasons. When I say that, what I mean is putting it together for academic articles, papers so other researchers can take that data and apply it to certain things, behavioral health, back to drug abuse, things along those lines. Academic research helps basically put the path together to help these regions.
Interviewer: Why is academic research your calling?
Hector: Wow, that is a good question. One of the things that I love about academic research is epidemiology, the focus on numbers, data, collecting it together and then put it into the human aspect. That’s something that I’ve loved from the beginning. That was literally my foray into research. My love of those aspects of research. That’s why I’m going back to that now.
Interviewer: So public health?
Hector: Yes.
Interviewer: That’s been kind of the driver from the beginning. With your bachelor’s going into getting your masters and health, your doctorate, what is it about public health that draws you into that field?
Hector: I think for me, public health, the biggest thing about public health is the multifaceted approach to it. Everything that I’m doing ties in together, whether it’s dealing with people, dealing with numbers, dealing with aspects of life, everything has a public health aspect to it. It all connects from nursing to doctoral studies all the way through dealing with patients to collection of data, analysis of data, it all ties in together. So public health is becoming more and more multifaceted, more complex, more interconnected. That’s the reason why I chose public health because it was starting to expand. When I decided to go back into research through AMU and it’s continuing to expand, whether it’s through research, again, the pandemic opened up multiple doors to expand public health because we need services. And that’s the reason why I chose public health from the beginning.
Interviewer: So often when people go into fields like healthcare, often there’s kind of a lofty goal or an altruistic reason, a hope or a vision for public health. Has that been on your radar? Do you have something like that in your experience?
Hector: Well for me, for public health, being where I’m from, being from the environment that I’m from, I know what it’s like to have lack of resources, lack of access to resources. I want to be able to build a bridge to help people get to where I’m at right now. And not so much academically, but to be able to have access to resources that now I have. Because everybody should have access to those things. Whether it’s doctors, nurses, social services, things along those lines. From my point of view, I know what it’s like to be on the other side of that. So now being able to be on the inside of it, I could help bring people into it as well.
Interviewer: That’s good. That’s good.
Hector: That one I actually think about a lot. A lot more than I probably care to admit.
Interviewer: Why would you phrase it that way? That’s interesting.
Hector: Because I know what it’s like to lack, and again, and I don’t mean that from a family point of view, I mean that from an environment point of view, I understand that. I understand the aspects of people coming in and not knowing where they’re going to get clothes or food or whatever the case is. I know what that’s like. I’ve lived among that. So it’s something that when I look at it drives me. And that goes back to the behavioral health, the academic stuff. I know how to tie all that in together. That’s why I chose public health more than anything else.
Interviewer: That really is inspiring, Hector. Really. So, what is the legacy you want to leave?
Hector: The legacy I want to leave. I want to leave a legacy of being able to succeed at what it is you do. I want people to see what I’m doing and say you can do it as well. I want people to make the right choices. What we were talking about earlier, it comes down to making the right choice of being successful in what it is you’re doing. Once you make that choice, that’s the legacy I want to leave.
Interviewer: Your place of work is now at a prestigious Ivy League institution. How was your AMU degree, as an online degree, sufficient for a prestigious Ivy League institution?
Hector: It’s okay. Seeing that, how they were willing to take a chance on me be through my degree as opposed to being in class as opposed to being online was something that helped validate the progression I’ve had over the years. This is worth something. This is something that is basically the hard work put in for it. Here it is now. Here’s your reward for it to be a part of what I’m doing right now. So if anybody thinks that you cannot have validation through an online degree, they’re wrong. Especially through to AMU.
Interviewer: Was there anything that surprised you about American Military University?
Hector: The accessibility to services. What surprised you about the university was the accessibility to services given the fact that it was an online university. I had no idea anything from the library to all the staff members to all the programs available. I had no idea. Through an online university you were able to access all these materials. That was the most surprising part.
Interviewer: Nice. Great answer. Do you have any advice for service members that are transitioning out, and then into, the private sector?
Hector: My advice for service members transitioning out of the military would be to highly consider AMU for their degree. Many people cannot go to brick and mortar colleges, whether it’s service members still coming out, going in, some traveling overseas, doing all the things available. AMU is a place where it’s very welcoming. They’re easy to work with and they’ll work with you to get your degree.
Interviewer: Okay. how would you define flexibility in terms of your experience as an AMU student?
Hector: I would define flexibility from being an AMU student to be able to log in at any time during the day or night, being able to complete your tasks within the timeframe and having the staff work with you to get to where you have to go.
NOTE: Let’s see if we have audio of Hector thanking the interviewer so we can use that in the wrap up.
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