Morgan Furnari ‘15 turned her passion for dancing into a career as an advocate for the arts in Washington D.C. Read more about her journey and how her takeaways from Gulliver helped influence her future.
What have you been up to since graduating from Gulliver?
I attended the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. where I double majored in Organizational Sciences and Dance and minored in Psychology. After graduating in 2019, I started my career at Americans for the Arts Action Fund where I have been working for the last 5.5 years.
What do you enjoy about the work you are doing now?
I enjoy the work I do now because I am passionate about it. Advocacy work encourages communities to share their voices and makes sure their message is heard by political leaders and decision makers. As someone who was highly impacted by the arts throughout my life, I am grateful to be fighting for artists and arts organizations’ rights every day.
How have your passions/interests during your time at Gulliver helped to inform your life now?
The opportunity to dance and choreograph at Gulliver changed my life. There are a lot of amazing dance programs at schools in Miami, but the opportunity to not only be on a team but also choreograph and lead gave me the confidence and skills to be successful in college and in my career. Due to my positive experience participating in the arts at Gulliver, I now understand the profound impact on how being passionate about something, like an art form, encourages students to be more engaged in school.
What was the most important thing you learned at Gulliver?
Hard work. My experience at Gulliver taught me the value of working hard to achieve your goals. I know that not all my peers had the same experience or takeaway, but on a personal level I look back and am grateful to have been challenged academically. Academics did not come easy to me, and I used designated tutorial time almost every day to get extra help in subjects like math and science. I had to learn to manage my time and motivate myself to do better in subjects that were difficult for me so that I had more opportunities and choices for my future. I really do attribute being prepared for college directly to my time at Gulliver.
How has your education at Gulliver supported your life’s goals and dreams?
My teachers at Gulliver believed in me, and it helped me believe more in myself. I have carried that with me to today.
What is your favorite memory from your time at Gulliver?
Spending time with my friends were some of my favorite memories at Gulliver. The bonds I formed at Gulliver are ones I cherish to this day. Even though not all of us have kept in touch, I have really fond memories of us all laughing at our spot on the second floor by our lockers. We could make each other laugh at anything.
The dance room will also always have a special place in my heart.
Did you have a favorite teacher or coach at Gulliver who had a positive influence on you?
To this day, Ms. Gerri is the teacher and coach who had the most beautiful and long-lasting impact on my life. She taught me so much about how to be a leader, how to express myself, and how to stay connected to the world around me. She will live in my heart, and the heart of so many Gulliver dancers, forever. She believed in me more than I believed in myself and I am forever grateful
What’s next for you?
I love what I do, and I love my job. I will continue working in arts advocacy, traveling between Washington, D.C. and South Florida. I also look forward to traveling with my family and friends (including friends I met at Gulliver).
What advice would you give other Gulliver students and alumni after you?
Current Gulliver Student: Work hard so you have more freedom in your future. The harder you work now the more choices you will have later to choose where and how you want to live your life. Learn as much as you can so that you can be anything you want.
Alumni After Me: Remember the lessons you learned inside and outside of the classroom. Our experiences as people often mean more than the academic tests we took.
