Crop talks

Alex Watters, Morningside College alumni, uses his life experiences to change Morningside and the Sioux City community today. At Morningside, he is a Career Development Specialist on campus. He is currently a City Council member in Sioux City after being appointed in 2017.

            At the beginning of Watters’ freshman year at Morningside he went to a lake and was severely injured. He broke his neck and has been in a wheelchair ever since. He now has some mobility in his upper body and tells his story.

            After graduate school in Omaha, Watters was moved to Washington D.C. for what he described as an “internship on steroids.” He was selected to work with the US Department of Education where he worked with the secretary of Education.

 He even worked with First Lady Michelle Obama on the “Let’s Read Let’s Move” movement. The “Let’s Move” part is when famous people will do fun physical activities and workouts with students. This movement is for a healthier America and to fight childhood obesity.

            Watters brought his experiences from Washington D.C. and life back to Morningside. He connects with students through his experiences and people reach out to him to work together. On campus, he works in the Krone Advising Center to help students find career paths and activities they are interested in. When asked what is the most fulfilling part of his job Watters said, “Seeing students succeed or have the realization of what they want to do with their life.” Students will come back and tell him about how they landed a job they wanted.

            Watters helps countless students on campus and has connections in the city to do his job well. While being on the city council he pushes to make changes for everyone and is open to new ideas. He said, “As long as I’m making a difference in people’s lives that’s what I am going to do.” He is doing that now in any way he can.