Shawn Morgan knows that his life is the result of divine guidance. Some of the details don’t make sense any other way.
He is a banker who has risen to the top of his field without ever formally studying finance. His degree is in biology with a minor in chemistry, a reminder of the path not taken to become a pharmacist.
Morgan, market president at Synovus, is also a pastor and a father of eight children, all boys, ranging in age from 31 to 10.
Morgan was raised in Carbon Hill. His parents worked hard at Arrow Shirt Factory to provide him and his brother with the necessities. After the factory shut down, his mother went back to school and became a nurse.
When it came time to make decisions about his future, Morgan knew his options were to go to college on scholarship or to enlist in the military. The Thornton scholarship at Walker College paved the way for him to pursue higher education.
With the goal of one day becoming a pharmacist in mind, Morgan asked the owner of Vickers Pharmacy in Carbon Hill to let him work for free in order to gain some experience.
“I was back there counting the pills out one day, and I said, ‘Mr. Vickers, is this it? Is this what you do all day? Because this isn’t for me. I appreciate your time and your help, but I can’t do this anymore,’” Morgan recalled.
After two years at Walker College, Morgan transferred to the University of Alabama at Birmingham with the new goal of becoming a biology teacher and coach. He paid his way by working at a sporting goods store in Hoover during the day and attending classes at night.
Once he and his wife, Kelley, were married, Morgan started looking for a full-time job while also still going to college. A co-worker suggested that he apply for a position in cash management at SouthTrust Bank.
Within two years, Morgan had received two promotions.
“Once I graduated, I realized that I really enjoyed what I was doing. My degree in biology and chemistry didn’t help me at all except for the fact that one of the requirements for a sales job was that you had to have a degree,” Morgan said.
Morgan climbed the professional ladder at several banks in the Birmingham area before getting the opportunity to work closer to home at Synovus in 2018.
“It’s a dream job for me. Never in my wildest dreams would I believe that I would be sitting in Mr. (John) Oliver’s office. I love this community, and I love how we serve them,” he said.
As much as Morgan loves banking, he knows that his calling is to the ministry.
He preached his first sermon at 13. He is ordained in the Baptist church. His first church was Old Union Baptist Church in Winston County. He currently serves as pastor of Saragossa First Baptist Church.
“For a while, I thought I was too young and inexperienced. Maybe that was just excuses. There was such conviction that I finally said yes to whatever the Lord would have me do,” Morgan said.
A week later, Morgan received the call that ultimately led him to seven years of service at Old Union Baptist Church.
