Morgan Isaiah didn’t just grow up in Centralia—she grew into herself here. A 2006 graduate of Centralia High School, Morgan has spent her life chasing harmony. First through music, then through retail, and now through her role at the Community Resource Center, where she blends purpose, positivity, and public service into something meaningful for everyone she meets.

From the beginning, the arts were her refuge. “I lived in the band room, the choir room, the drama club,” she says. “Music and theater were my anchor.” She started clarinet in fifth grade and later added bass clarinet when a friend’s accident left her primary instrument in pieces. “My life at CHS revolved around the arts and my friends. That’s what kept me grounded.”

Her high school memories are vivid. She remembers being part of CHS’s first class to try out a “house” model—Red House, Green House, Blue House. She remembers feeling slightly uneasy about being grouped academically, but grateful that those lines blurred in band and drama. “We had friends from every group. We were Venn diagrams. It made high school feel less intimidating.”

After graduation, Morgan spent three years at Kaskaskia College, then transferred to Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she majored in vocal performance and minored in music business. “I thought I was just going to sing,” she recalls with a laugh. “I didn’t realize I’d be taking placement tests and studying classical music.”

That classical path opened unexpected doors. “I didn’t know I had that in me,” she says. “It was rigorous, but I left stronger for it.” She even explored the business side of music, visiting Nashville and stepping into studios and conversations she’d never imagined.

When she returned home, unsure of her next move, she took a job at the newly opened Rue21 in Centralia. Her charisma and work ethic quickly moved her up the ranks. “Retail is service. You get to help people through some of life’s hardest and most joyful moments.” She remembers dressing customers for funerals, first dates, and everything in between.

But when Rue21 closed in 2017, a new door opened. She began working at the Community Resource Center—first at the front desk, then in chart review, and eventually as a support staff leader. She trained others, supported supervisors, and kept operations humming. “I love helping people find their footing. Training new team members was one of my favorite parts.”

Eventually, she moved into a role as representative payee, managing finances for clients with limited resources. But her current position—substance use prevention specialist—is where her voice truly resonates. She visits local schools, teaches middle schoolers about decision-making, and represents the agency at community events. “When my boss first asked me to apply, I didn’t think I was qualified. But I felt like it was God nudging me forward.”

That leap of faith has turned into something life-giving. “I didn’t know I needed this role until I was in it,” she says. “It gave me purpose again. It reminded me that I have something valuable to offer.”

Morgan still sings. She’s performed in weddings, community theater, and church. Recently, she joined a production in Salem—a spark of joy during a hard chapter in her life. “It filled my spirit,” she says. “Music is a gift. I don’t want to let it go.”

She brings that same energy to the youth center in Centralia, where she serves on the board. “It’s a safe place where kids can feel seen, fed, loved. That matters.”

Her heroes are her mother—“graceful, kind, and strong”—and a circle of friends doing amazing things. “I’m their biggest hype man,” she says. “I don’t resent their success. I celebrate it. It lifts all of us.”

Ask her what she loves about Centralia, and she lights up. “We don’t have everything, but we have each other. I used to want to leave. Now I see how much good is here. And I want to be part of building more.”

Morgan Isaiah is a clarinetist, a counselor, a teacher, a performer, and a light in her community. She knows life doesn’t always go according to plan—but it can still be beautiful if you sing your own part and help others find theirs.