Alex Watters, a first year advisor at Morningside College, says that even though he is paralyzed “I can’t sit still!” He keeps himself busy in activites that benefit the community because he wants to give back to a community that has done so much for him.

Alex Watters is a first year advisor at Morningside College. He says he enjoys his job because he can see himself making a difference. “Some students are challenging cases,” Waters said, “It’s my job to give them the tools to succeed.” As an advisor he helps with the major change that is transitioning from high school to college. He said that a very rewarding part of the job was to see a student who was having a tough time with this transition get excited about college or a major.

While talking about his job and other commitments there was a theme of helping people. He said that there were so many people that supported him through his accident he wanted to take any chance he could to give back. He spoke of the members of the Morningside community that visited him in the hospital as well as the nurses and physical therapists who’s job it was to reteach him basic skills. He said that there were so many people who gave back to him that he now wants to give back in as many ways as he can.

One piece of advice that Alex Watters always holds on to is being told to have an “attitude of gratitude.” He displays that in his many obligations outside of his job at Morningside. He is a part of the city council and was elected Vice Chair of the State Rehabilitation Council.

Though Watters enjoys his position he said it was not something he sees himself doing long-term. He spent time working in Washington D.C. where the norm for jobs is to move on every couple of years. He said he could see himself moving around within Morningside and maybe even becoming President of the College.