When Morgan Mulkern filled out her college application, she wrote an essay on why she likes bikes. They’re more than a way Mulkern gets around.

But Mulkern almost didn’t graduate from high school on time. Two weeks from the end of school, Mulkern worked round the clock to knock off her final two classes. During that tough time, Mulkern said heading to work after school at Ernie’s Cycle Shop in Westbrook provided not only money but peace and encouragement, because she was working with bikes.

Morgan Mulkern, a bike technician at Ernie’s Cycle Shop in Westbrook, says she feels at home when she’s riding. Deirdre Fleming photo

When did you start working at Ernie’s Cycle Shop?

The owner is my neighbor and I went over to his house when I was 6 and asked if I could have a job. He said, ‘Come back when you’re older.’ So when I turned 16, I went over with my work permit and he hired me. I’ve always been into biking. It’s a big part of my life.

When did you get your first bike?

When I was 5. It was a little purple thing from Wal-Mart. Then it broke, and I went to Ernie’s shop and I found out there are a lot of things wrong with bikes from (those chain stores). It blew my mind how poorly they were made. They cannot compare to a bike-shop bike.

What do you do at Ernie’s?

I started stocking the shelves and cleaning. Then I did paperwork. Last winter I started to clean the bikes and make sure the wheels are on right before handing it off to another technician. Mostly now I’m in sales.

Did you learn some of the bike work at Westbrook High School?

Yes, WRENCH – it’s an acronym for Westbrook Rehab Education and Cycling Hub. Mr. (Shannon) Belt taught me a lot. I started in his class my sophomore year. I was one of the youngest kids in the class. I was already working at Ernie’s so it was kind of ironic, this 16-year-old female technician teaching guys who were 17 and 18 how to fix bikes.

Where do you hope to take your love of bikes?

I hope when I go to college to study engineering or music, which I’ve always been interested in as well. I’m going to start at (Southern Maine Community College) in January and take core classes, try to figure out what I want to do before I transfer. I don’t want to end up looking back and thinking I could have done things differently. Looking back, high school flew by. I had two credits left with 21/2 weeks left of school and almost didn’t graduate. Mr. Belt in alternative learning did a lot, as well as some other teachers. I just kept procrastinating and saying, ‘I’ll figure it out later. I don’t feel like doing it.’ And it was very stressful for everyone involved.

But the last two weeks of school, I just sat down in the alternative learning building and worked six periods a day to finish the assignments. I would take one period at lunch and take a break, then work until the end of school, then go to work.

Was that difficult?

It took its toll on me and all the teachers involved. It was hard on the music department because I was a strong part of the chamber singers and chorus, but I needed to do this work to graduate. I still got 100 in my guitar lab and chamber singers, and in chorus. The last day, when my English teacher Miss (Kelly) Townsend said how she watched me put my head to the grindstone she said, “You’ve got it. Go home.” I started to cry. I cried at graduation. It was very uncertain. I thought if I’m not going to graduate with my class, I’m going to quit. I wanted to walk with my class, to turn my tassel. I won’t say it was the hardest thing I’ve been through but it was one of the hardest.

What is the hardest thing you’ve been through?

I don’t live at home and I miss my family. My family is No. 1 for me, but I’m not able to see my little brother, who is 9, as often. Cameron and I are very close.

My parents got divorced when I was younger, and my mom and I weren’t a good mix, so I went to live with my dad. But on Valentine’s Day this year we had a big fight and I left. I got on my bike and I stayed at my girlfriend’s, then at my grandmother’s. I went to live with my aunt and she now rents me a room. She said I could live there until I graduated without paying rent, but if I didn’t graduate I couldn’t stay. That seemed fair.

Have music and bikes helped you through these hard times?

Yes. At work I’m always humming or singing. When I come home from work I play the guitar or ride my bike. I try to do at least 10 miles a day. When I don’t answer a text, people know, ‘She’s probably riding.’ I feel more at home with bikes and music than just sitting around.

Is there anything I didn’t ask that you’d like to add?

Just that people should wear helmets. I’ve seen the damage an accident can do to a bike and to people. At the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (where I volunteer), we tell people drivers don’t look for bicyclists. They’re on their cell phones. One guy I work with got hit by a car while riding his carbon-fiber bike, which (is) light but very strong. The frame just shattered. The car tried to pass him on the right and he went over the hood. The only reason he was OK was because of his helmet.

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