Why I Give

Philip Morales ’99 is a self-employed software engineer based in Virginia. His steady record of giving to Eastern grew this spring with a generous five-figure gift, establishing the Philip Morales ’99 Technology and Mathematics Endowed Scholarship. He explained why he’s proud to make Eastern a philanthropic priority.  

What were some of your favorite moments about going to school at Eastern? 

I would say the happy moments were many. However, I think walking across that stage to graduate after it took me some nine years to finish was an accomplishment. Also very important was the instrumental guidance and advice I received from many staff and faculty throughout my journey at Eastern, in particular Dr. David Carter and Dr. Stanley Battle pushing me to make sure I finished and graduated no matter what!   

Did you have a mentor at Eastern?  

Dr. Stanley Battle was my mentor at Eastern and was a pivotal proponent in me graduating from Eastern. I was not on the path to graduate on time. I had many meetings with him in his office and our conversations ranged in all areas both personal and professional. He encouraged me to persevere, stay focused and believe in my abilities, as well as to be aware and sensitive to the cultural differences of everyone in life. Most importantly, as you make it in this world, always remember to give back to others less fortunate or to help others to accomplish their goals. We just never know who we may be helping.  

How did Eastern prepare you for your career? 

I think the answer to this can come from many areas; for instance, critical thinking is something I learned from many of my classes at Eastern. I read so much diverse material at Eastern, from all my prerequisites to concentrating on my major. I had plenty of discussions with professors and other students and understood different perspectives on different topics.  

What was the impetus to start the Morales Scholarship?   

I think it relates to all the professors and staff who helped me get on track and graduate from Eastern and the conversations with Dr. Carter and Dr. Battle encouraging me to give back once I made it out there in the world. There are so many students with potential, and if I can provide help to one or two, I am humbled and happy to do that. 

Why is it important that alumni give back to their alma mater?  

For me, it’s about supporting our future students and future leaders. Additionally, helping a little with making Eastern’s academic programs stronger by getting or attracting top faculty, having cutting-edge programs, innovation and technology implementation in the world, and providing financial support for Eastern. Overall, I hope to help make education accessible to a diverse range of students throughout Connecticut.

About the scholarship

Recipients of the Philip Morales ’99 Technology and Mathematics Endowed Scholarship will be Connecticut residents in good academic standing who are members of a traditionally underrepresented group, demonstrate financial need, and are from one of the following majors: data science, computer science, mathematics and business Information systems.