FULLERTON, Calif. -- A college faculty member who helps young people plan their careers -- and who is an ardent supporter of Army ROTC -- is the latest recipient of Cadet Command's General William E. DePuy Award.

Doctor Rebecca Morgan, a career counselor at Fullerton College, has given an enormous amount of personal time and effort to influence the success of Army ROTC programs in southern California, according to Lt. Col. Jon Nepute, professor of military science at California State University-Fullerton, who nominated Morgan for the award.

"I cannot think of a person who has exerted more time and effort to influence others on the success of ROTC programs," Nepute, a 26-year Army veteran, said. "I have never been associated with a person who continually promotes ROTC and the Army as much as she does."

The DePuy Award was created in 2005 by Cadet Command to honor individuals who have provided significant support to Army ROTC. Morgan said she didn't expect the award.

"I didn't realize people were paying attention," Morgan explained. "I was just doing what I do, helping young people find direction and trying to open doors for them. It's nice to be recognized; it's icing on the cake."

In 2008, Morgan was recruited to help start an Army advisory board in the Los Angeles area to bring together local educators, businesses, community leaders and Army recruiting and ROTC officials to generate support for area Army programs. In 2010, the Southern California Army Advisory Council emerged from that organization, with Morgan as chair.

Through her position on the advisory council, Morgan has developed a keen interest in and an effective support platform for Army ROTC.

Morgan has been invited to numerous events to address business leaders and military leaders alike. In March 2011, she was invited by Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley, then-commanding general of U.S. Army Accessions Command, to Fort Benning, Ga., to discuss the formation of the Army advisory council she chairs in southern California.

Morgan has also invited Army Cadets to accompany her to local community events to "help her community understand the professionalism of future Army officers." And she has urged students to achieve their goals while helping them navigate available military and education systems.

Julius Hardi, an ROTC Cadet at CSU-Fullerton, said Morgan has gone "above and beyond" to help him achieve his goal of one day becoming a medical doctor.

"She has provided a lot of guidance to help me get where I want to go," Hardi said. "I told her I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn't have the money or the classes I needed."

Morgan helped Hardi, who hails from Indonesia, map out a plan that included enlisting in the Army, enrolling in the right classes at the right time, obtaining American citizenship and applying for a Green-to-Gold scholarship to become an Army officer.

"Without her help, I wouldn't have made it this far," said Hardi, who plans to continue his officer training and medical education.

Nepute said Morgan not only to supports and promotes Army ROTC, but has educated herself on the intricacies of the program and the Army in general, even adopting the service's unique language of acronyms.

The DePuy Award is named for the first commander of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command -- an Army ROTC graduate and a strong supporter of the program.

The commander of Cadet Command's 8th Brigade, Col. Charles Evans, will present the award to Morgan in a ceremony in May.