Michael Ferguson at the College of Charleston.

When you love where you live and there happens to be a respected university right in your hometown, the choice where you’re going to attend becomes pretty clear. That was the case for Danbury resident Michael Ferguson. “I was very involved in my community and enjoyed where I lived,” he said. “I never had any intention of wanting to go away to school. I always saw myself going to WestConn, and I thought it was great having a university right in my town where I grew up.”

Ferguson attended Western Connecticut State University for not only his Bachelor of Science in Political Science with a minor in History, but he also continued his educational journey at WestConn to obtain a Master’s degree in History.

“I always had an interest and passion for history, politics, presidential history and the political process,” Ferguson said. “I was very involved politically at the local level from around the age of 10. My neighbor ran for state representative and my family and I helped with the campaign.”

As a commuter student at WestConn, Ferguson joined the College Republicans Club, becoming president during his sophomore, junior and senior years. “There was definitely an interest in local politics on campus and I enjoyed explaining bills being debated and inviting speakers to campus in my role with the club,” he said.

As Ferguson neared completion of his undergraduate degree, he began to consider his next steps. “I wanted to expand my employment opportunities by getting a master’s degree,” he said. “Being in college helped show me the interest I have in teaching, and my intention was to teach at the college level, where I would have the ability to narrow in on topics I’m really interested in. Pursuing my master’s at WestConn was great because having gone there for my undergraduate degree made it a very easy transition.” It also was convenient for Ferguson to continue his part-time job nearby at Danbury Hospital’s Information Desk.

As he completed his graduate studies at the end of 2015, a teaching opportunity for a history instructor opened up at Naugatuck Valley Community College. “I was very lucky, and I taught one course that spring semester and it gave me my entrance to teaching.”

State Rep. Michael Ferguson

After a few more semesters at NVCC, Ferguson also decided to run for State Rep. himself. His campaign started in spring 2016. He had already been on the Danbury Board of Education for a four-year term, and when his neighbor decided to retire from her State Rep. seat, he had the opportunity to run for it — and win.

Ferguson served one term as a State Rep. and said, “Serving at the state Capitol and representing my community and district was very rewarding and a great honor. I built a lot of relationships and was able to represent the community I grew up in. Once my term ended, it gave me the opportunity to focus again on teaching, and I taught at both NVCC and Post University. I was able to refocus my career a little bit and teach about government and American History from a behind-the-scenes perspective.”

Michael Ferguson at The Citadel.

His teaching resume expanded with several years of service at Goodwin University in its Human Services Program where he oversaw their human service internships and taught about community advocacy — while using the insights he had gained while working at Danbury Hospital and in state government.

Something else that came from his job at Danbury Hospital was that he met his future wife, Ashley Davila-Marquez, there. Davila-Marquez, now Ferguson, is a 2019 WestConn alumna with a degree in Social Work. After their 2023 wedding, they talked about relocating to someplace with better weather — a huge change of life decision for two people who both had lived in Danbury for their entire lives. After visiting Charleston, South Carolina, and looking into teaching opportunities at the College of Charleston and the Citadel, the decision to relocate was made.

Now an adjunct professor in the History and Political Science department ats the College of Charleston and the General Education Department at The Citadel, Ferguson teaches in-person history and political science courses. He also continues to teach some remote classes for Post University back home in Connecticut.

“The time I was at WestConn made me realize that teaching was something I really wanted to do,” Ferguson said. “My good experiences there pretty much fulfilled what I was looking for. It’s a major university, but also has the hometown feel. You’re never overwhelmed or intimidated, and the faculty and staff just want to help you and see you do well.”

Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.