NW Valley Times

Morgan Lomas, a 45-year-old high school dropout from central Pennsylvania, is balancing her studies at Grand Canyon University (GCU) with multiple jobs, including her own cheesecake business. Despite the challenges, she enrolled in GCU as an early childhood education major this spring. Lomas acknowledges, “I don’t know what possessed me. I have no idea. Well, you know, it’s never too late (to go to school)."

Lomas left home at 15, had her first child at 19, and spent 16 years in a challenging relationship. Eventually, she left, taking her children to live in a mobile home north of Lancaster. Reflecting on her past, she stated, “I was burning the candle at both ends and setting fire to myself for a long time... It was choices other people made and choices that I made.”

Raised by her grandmother, who introduced her to church, Lomas experienced a difficult home life. After years working multiple jobs, including as a waitress, bartender, and in-home care worker, she struggled with addiction. However, she decided to change, saying, “I decided I didn't want to live that life anymore.” After leaving the bar scene, she entered the nursing and mental health fields.

As her children grew, she found herself supporting several teenagers, including her boyfriend's daughters and her son's friends. “My son moved three friends into the single-wide,” Lomas shared. Eventually, history began to repeat itself, and she ended another relationship by channeling her energy into baking cheesecakes, which she started selling successfully.

Lomas chose GCU for its online programs, a new experience for her. “I didn’t know what I was doing; I don’t even know how to get this financial aid stuff going,” she admitted. Support from the university and a GCU Facebook group for Pennsylvania students helped ease her transition.

Dr. Crystal McCabe, a GCU associate professor, noted Lomas’ determination, saying, “What stuck out to me was (Lomas’) commitment to go after her dreams.” Lomas, who struggled with her faith due to past hardships, found guidance in a couple who gave her a home, leading her to rediscover her faith. She reflected, “He was there, even for all the wrong people that were in (my life) at the time.”

Morgan Lomas is set to marry for the first time this fall, expressing gratitude for her supportive partner, “It’s a blessing. He puts me first in his life.”

The coverage was provided by Eric Jay Toll, a Phoenix-based journalist whose work has appeared in the Phoenix Business Journal and USA Today.