ACE Names Amanda Webb and Matthew Morin 2019 Students of the Year

February 26, 2020

Amanda Webb, a nurse from Indianapolis, and Matthew Morin, a student at Central Michigan University (CMU), are ACE's 2019 Students of the Year.

The ACE/Salesforce.org Student of the Year Award is presented annually by ACE to one or more individuals who have benefitted academically or professionally from the use of ACE credit recommendations for workforce or military training. Recipients must demonstrate outstanding achievements in their community or workplace while successfully balancing the demands of family, career, and education.

Webb recently graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana, and Morin is an active-duty sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton. They will be presented with the honor at the closing plenary session March 16 at ACE2020, ACE’s 102nd Annual Meeting in San Diego. Both recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship to help fund their education.

Amanda Webb

Amanda Webb

Webb’s journey was not easy. Formerly a single mother, she put aside her dream of finishing nursing school to support her family and worked as an EMT. Eventually she went back to school while still working three jobs, but her college closed just before she was able to earn enough credits to graduate.

She enrolled at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a three-hour round trip from her home, and finished her clinical rotations and credits needed, some of those being ACE credits. She graduated in December and has since passed state boards and accepted a position as a registered nurse at Franciscan Health Indianapolis in the emergency department.

“I juggled it all and made it happen because becoming a nurse meant more to me than most anything,” said Webb. “I am so thankful that Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods accepted these ACE credit recommendations and I didn’t have to give up on my dreams.”

Matthew Morin

Matthew Morin

Sgt. Morin has been focused on earning a college degree since he was stationed in Bahrain with the Marine Corps. Since then, he has completed nearly three years of online courses at CMU while stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, where he is an aviation maintenance squadron work center supervisor. He is set to graduate this May with a bachelor of science degree, majoring in administration. Morin transferred nearly half of his degree requirements to CMU via ACE CREDIT® and he is now using his experience to mentor other Marines on their own educational journeys.

“In reality, in today’s culture you need to have a degree,” Morin said. “I think it’s important to have an education no matter what.”

Morin will leave the military this fall after five years. His experience has brought job offers in aviation, but instead he’ll put it to work at his father’s roofing business in his hometown of Tigard, Oregon, and help support his wife and three young children.

He said his education will help him run the 25-employee business, but the self-confidence he gained is even more important.

“These students have served their families, their country, and communities. Their perseverance exemplifies the qualities we seek in ACE’s Student of the Year,” said Louis Soares, ACE’s chief learning and innovation officer. “Their commitment to education, desire to earn a degree, and determination to set high goals should be an inspiration to post-traditional students everywhere.”