“The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented in recognition of her extraordinary leadership, lifelong community impact, and unwavering dedication to improving the lives of girls and young women in underserved communities,” said Karen Thomas ’77, President of the Simmons University Alumnae Association. Morris’s acceptance speech, in which she recounted her journey from public housing in New Jersey to the halls of Simmons, moved audience members to tears. Many described it as one of the most powerful and resonant moments of the weekend.
Classmates and attendees praised Morris not only for sharing her deeply personal story but for giving voice to a collective experience. As one alumna remarked, “It wasn’t just Leslie’s story — it was our story. But only she had the courage to stand in it and speak it.”
In addition to being an honoree, Morris played a key role in organizing the reunion weekend — including a Boston Harbor cruise that brought together more than 30 classmates, family members, and faculty, along with a slate of memorable Class of ’75 events. Her leadership and presence were felt throughout the celebration.
Simmons University’s recognition of Morris reflects a broader acknowledgment of her life’s mission: empowering girls not only to dream, but to believe their dreams can come true. Her impact continues to ripple across generations — from Camden, NJ, to Boston and beyond. “I was one of the girls Ms. Morris helped when I was a teen mother in Baltimore in 1983,” said Lisa, now in her 50s. “Ms. Morris was a social worker in a teen pregnancy and parenting program, and I was fortunate to have her as my counselor. It was a rough time in my life, and she helped me through it. Forty-two years later, I still keep in touch with her — and I credit her with where I am today.”
Morris has never been content to function solely as a CEO. She remains hands-on and deeply involved in the daily work of Women of the Dream, often transporting girls herself to teen workshops, college visits, and leadership conferences where they meet and network with successful women of color.
In April 2023, five girls traveled with Morris to a Black Symposium at Simmons University. There, they met Dr. Lynn Perry Wooten, Simmons’ first Black president, along with other accomplished women of color graduates. One student, Sasha Oglesby, was particularly inspired. “I thought it was really cool to meet a Black woman from Philadelphia in the role of President, since Philly is so close to Camden,” Sasha said. “I fell in love with Boston and Simmons and knew I wanted to go there.”
Sasha, now a senior at Creative Arts High School in Camden, applied to and received her acceptance letter to Simmons in February 2025. Morris has always believed in the power of exposure and opportunity. “We can’t expect young people to make good choices if they don’t know what choices they have,” she often says. Without that pivotal trip to Boston, Sasha may never have discovered Simmons, just as Morris herself might never have known about Simmons had her guidance counselor not arranged for her to meet Brenda Franklin, a Simmons recruiter who had visited her high school decades earlier.
As Sasha prepares to begin her Simmons journey this fall, Morris reflects with pride and humility. “The dream lives on,” she says.
