Oxford Stories: UM Triple Finance Major is a Goal-Achiever

He is president of his fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi. He’s a residential community assistant, a business school ambassador, and a member of the Pride of the South band.

Ian Morrison, a University of Mississippi senior from San Antonio, Texas, is a triple finance major and go-getter by nature who has adopted a demanding schedule as a way of life.
Morrison has been playing instruments since the fifth grade. He said he chose to play the flute at random. He had experience playing the recorder and originally thought he wanted to play the trumpet. However, when the paper was presented to him and it was time to pick, the flute felt like the right choice.
Growing up, Morrison visited his relatives in Meridian and Newton during the summer. “I thought it was the greatest place in the world – like better than Disney World,” he laughed.
During high school, he played in the Holmes High School Band and attended the Business Careers magnet school attached to Holmes High School. When it came time to decide where to attend college, his wonderful memories of visiting Mississippi and a mixture of other things came to mind.
“I applied and was accepted into the Honors College and then received my band scholarship,” said Morrison. “Everything just kind of lined up to come here.”

Since beginning school here in the fall of 2014, Morrison has become involved with so much more than the Honors College and band that brought him here. He wears many hats on the Ole Miss campus. He was well prepared and enthusiastic to dive into all the university and its surroundings had to offer.
Outside of band, Morrison has completely embraced Oxford. He said his favorite place to eat is Funky’s on the Square. Whether it is in a professional or social setting, Morrison is a friend to others.
Olivia Gladney has been Morrison’s best friend since freshman year. Morrison said no matter how long they go without talking, they can always pick up the conversation as if it had never stopped. Conversation is something Morrison seems to attract.
“He is so outgoing,” said Georgi Yaekel, a fellow senior at Ole Miss. “I don’t know that I have ever seen him greet someone without a smile.”
Maybe it is his approachable demeanor or ability to relate to others on a personal level. Whatever the case, Morrison will leave his mark on the University of Mississippi by eagerly going above and beyond the tasks of his many titles.
Morrison’s contagious positivity was noticeable as he spoke of his daily routines and responsibilities. He wakes up in the morning and tries to eat a good breakfast before conquering the day. He juggles his studies, his job, and his many other duties until 4 pm. After that, his time is dedicated to the Pride of the South.

All of Morrison’s afternoons and weekends are devoted to the Ole Miss band in the fall. It is obvious that he takes pride in the hard work band members put in every afternoon. He can recall specific details of some of his favorite moments and memories with The Pride of the South without any prompting.
Morrison said one of his favorite memories came from playing at the Alabama game his freshman year. “The play was under review, and they said that Senquez Golson intercepted the ball in Alabama’s territory,” said Morrison. “Literally the stadium erupted, and it was like sheer euphoria. We played the fight song, and it was just crazy. And we got to see Katy Perry. It was really a lot of fun.”
Morrison said he plans to interview for banking jobs after graduation, possibly as a financial analyst.
Looking down at a sheet of paper and randomly choosing to play the flute 10 years ago seems to have helped Morrison in more ways than could have been foreseen. His passion for music, his academic drive, and his outgoing personality has helped shape him into an extraordinarily well-rounded student on the Ole Miss campus.
However, as a truly humble individual, Morrison simply describes it all as just being a part of his “everyday normal life.”

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By Margaret Griffin. Read more stories like this on Oxford Stories.
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