Ben Morris:
CLASS OF 1976
Yoe High SchoolClass of 1976
Cameron, TX
Stephen F. Austin High SchoolClass of 1976
Port arthur, TX
Port Neches Junior High SchoolClass of 1973
Port neches, TX
Pease Elementary SchoolClass of 1970
Port arthur, TX
Woodcrest Elementary SchoolClass of 1970
Port neches, TX
Ben's Story
Life
After high school, I went to Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. I received a B.S. degree in Secondary Education in 1982, and an M.S. degree in Biology in 1985. I started (but did not even nearly complete) a Ph.D. program in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A and M University.
I've spent most of my professional career teaching science (primarily biology), on both the high school and college levels.
My greatest fulfilled life dream has been to travel extensively and to live abroad. I've been able to visit 41 of the 50 U.S. states. I havwe also visited many European countries, as well as a few countries in Asia and one (Kenya) in Africa.
During 1994, I lived and did mission work in Kiev, Ukraine. While there, I learned to speak some Russian (and I still do, although not fluently).
Since September of 2000, I have been teaching abroad. From 2000 to 2002, I taught high school science courses at the American-Nicaraguan School in Managua. (And yes, I learned some Spanish!) From there, I went on to teach at the American International School in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates. I have (maybe!) a thirty-word vocabulary in Arabic.
From there, I taught at two different schools in England over a two-year period. In August 2006, I taught at a secondary school in Mexico City, but things did not work out for me there. I am currently teaching Chemistry and Algebra II at the Colegio Decroly Americano in Guatemala City. It's far from perfect, but the best fit for me in quite some time!! I'm enjoying the school, the city, and the weather in Guatemala!
My greatest as yet unfulfilled life dream is about to finally come true. In December of 2007, I will marry Grey, the most beautiful and sweetest woman I have ever met! We met in 2001 when I was teaching at the American-Nicaraguan School in Managua. The relationship that I had hoped for back then blossomed only recently. But Grey and I are very much in love and excited about our future together as we can be!!
All in all, my life has been very satisfying and fulfilling. I have a great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who loves me. I've also been blessed by being in a great family, and by being able to make many friends throughout the years. I still keep touch with the majority of them.
Apart occasional bouts with chronic kidney stones, sleep apnea (I'm using a "CPAP" machine to help with that) and diabetes (which has been under constant monitoring and control), I enjoy very good health at the age 49.
College
I entered Lamar University as a freshman during the fall semester of 1976. I started what would turn out to be many extracurricular involvements by joining Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity during that first term. (I went on to hold many offices over the next five years, including chapter president for the spring sememster of 1978. I received by Life Membership in APO as a gift in 1982 from all my "little brothers".)
I made the Dean's List during my first semester. My GPA went through many surges and declines during my remaining five and one-half years at Lamar. While I enjoyed the extracurricular activities tremendously, my priorities were far too often with those, and not often enough with the "curricular". My GPA upon graduation was a respectable (but certainly not glowing) 2.82 out of 4.00.
I was slow to consider joining any social fraternity during my earlier college years, but eventually changed my mind. In the spring semester of 1979, I pledged Sigma Chi Fraternity. (I went on to hold many offices over the next three years, including "Pro Consul" (chapter vice president) during 1981. I have been a "Life Loyal Sig" since 1981. My dad, Norman Morris, gave that membership to me for Christmas one year, even though he was a not a Greek himself.
In the summer of 1981, I attended Sigma Chi's "Grand Chapter" convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. I served as the delegate from my chapter. Among the personal highlights of that time were getting to meet film star Larry ("Buster") Crabbe (old-time movie Tarzan and Flash Gordon) and Craig Nason (who was John Wayne's Sigma Chi big brother), and dancing with the newly-selected 1981-83 International Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, Lisa Ellen Cutcher.
I enjoyed college so much, that I managed to squeeze four years into six. My final year was quite a "swan song" for me. I made the Dean's List again during the fall semester of 1981. I was a finalist for "Mr. Greek Lamar" that same semester. In the spring semester of 1982, I received the "Frank Jolley" Award from the Lamar Student Government Association (for outstanding contributions to university life). I was also a finalist for the "C. Robert Kemble" Award (for the outstanding male graduating senior).
I graduated on May 15th, 1982 with...Expand for more
a B.S. degree in Secondary Education. At first, it was hard for me to leave college. I returned after a year of teaching, but the agenda was different this time. I received a research assistantship in 1983 to study for a master's degree in Biology.
I was privileged to have Dr. Richard C. Harrel as my "major professor" during my years of graduate study. My thesis (entitled: "Feasability of Aquaculture, Physicochemical Conditions, and Macrobenthos in Gulf States Utilities Sabine Station Marsh") was completed and defended in April of 1985. I received my MS degree in Biology on August 17th of that year.
I wasn't quite finished with college yet (but nearly!). I was accepted into a doctoral program in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science at Texas A and M University. The University's program was very good, and perhaps I should and could have successfully completed a Ph.D. degree there. But I got severely burned out, and decided to leave postgraduate study. Twenty-plus years later, I have found no reason to regret that decision.
Overall, I found college to be very fulfilling, and I made a longer career out of it than most. The times spent at each level (along with the blessings of God Almighty) made it possible for me to enjoy (sometimes endure) the experiences of work and travel abroad that have come my way since.
Workplace
I always have to dread the "Work History" part of employment applications. It's not that I can't hold a job, but for most of my working career, the location and work objective has changed with more frequency than anyone in their right mind would ever have planned for.
I worked my way through college at the Gray Library at Lamar University (Beaumont, Texas). After my graduation, I taught for a year at Lincoln High School in Port Arthur before returning to Lamar for graduate school. During graduate school, I worked as both a research assistant and teaching fellow.
Upon completing a Master of Science degree in Biology (in 1985), I went up to Texas A&M University in College Station to pursue a PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. I experienced severe bunout the first year there and pulled out of postgraduate study. (Twenty-plus years later, I have no desire to return to it!!) I entered the working world for good in 1986 at age 28.
Teaching jobs were hard to come by then (or I didn't apply at the right places), so I worked at the Evans Library at Texas A&M (and did some substitute teaching in the Bryan and College Station school districts) for several years. I gave up substituting (for a while, anyway) after getting a part-time teaching job at the Bryan, Texas campus of Blinn College.
I left Evans Library in 1990, and continued teaching at Blinn until December 1993. In 1994, I took sabbatical leave from Blinn to go to Kiev, Ukraine for the year. While I was there, I helped introduce a Christian ethics curriculum for use in their public schools.
I returned to Blinn in 1994, and eventually left under disagreeable (and dubious) circumstances in 1997. I went back to substitute teaching, hoping to once again find a full-time teaching position. During this interregnum, I also worked as a salesman for RainSoft, and then as a parts clerk at a John Deere store.
I found a position with Richard Milburn Academy in Killeen, Texas in September of 1999. I then decided that I should try teaching abroad, so I attended a job fair in Houston in February 2000. I was hired by the American-Nicaraguan School (in Managua) and taught there during the the 2000-2002 school years. After leaving ANS, I taught at the American International School in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), where I stayed for two years.
After returning from the Middle East, I accepted an offer to teach on a temproary basis at Crossways Academy, a "sixth form college" in London. I always wanted to teach in England, and finally, that dream came true!! I really loved teaching at Crossways, and was very happy there. When my teaching position became permanent, I applied for it, but was not successful. I was devastateed by this turn of events, and it took me more than a year to get over it.
I then went on to teach at a comprehensive school in Henley-on-Thames, which turned out to be a very poor fit for me. After that, I taught at a secondary school in Mexico City, and that situation turned out even worse. I stayed there only for six months.
In March 2007, I accepted a teaching position with Colegio Decroly Americano in Guatemala City. Finally, I am again teaching in a secondary school where I am valued and appreciated. Thus far, I've been very happy with the school, the city. and the weather! Even so, I doubt that this will be my last international teaching stop. So many countries ... so little time!! ;-)
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