Courtney Murphy
Major : Criminal Justice
Minor : Environmental Science
High School : Little Flower Catholic High School
for Girls
Hometown : Philadelphia, PA
Activities : Women’s Lacrosse team, Neumann Navigator, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Catholic Leadership Institute, Campus Ministry, Students for Environmental Awareness, Unofficial School Mascot, Resident Assistant
Move over Smokey the Bear, Courtney Murphy wants your job― or at least something like it. An aspiring park ranger, she would like to work for the National Park Service. Park ranger is not a typical career for a woman. But Courtney Murphy is not your typical young woman. Outgoing, outspoken, and outdoorsy, she is deeply committed to serving and helping others and to making sure she has a passion for the career she eventually pursues.
It was her dedication to service that actually brought her to Neumann. “Serving others has always been a part of my lifestyle,” she says.
As a high school volunteer for the Community Service Corps, Courtney became aware of her love for helping people. It was through a former Neumann College admissions counselor, who was also involved with the Community Service Corp, that she heard about Neumann. She visited and loved it.
“I like the environment here. It makes me feel comfortable. I feel like Neumann is a perfect fit.” Having attended St. John Neumann Shrine parish grade school in Philadelphia, Courtney says, “I felt a connection to him that I also believe led me to Neumann College. It’s like he had a hand in my decision,” she reflects.
Although she enrolled directly from high school at St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, for a semester, she was not quite satisfied there. She decided to take a year off to “figure out” what she really wanted. She joined AmeriCorps, a national service program often referred to as the "domestic Peace Corps." With AmeriCorps, Courtney lived and worked in Colorado as a U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter, and received an award for most volunteer service hours completed. During her service time, she helped build houses with Habitat for Humanity, constructed neighborhood playgrounds with Home Depot, helped organize school carnivals, and even helped provide therapeutic horseback riding for handicapped youth.
It was her service work with AmeriCorps, in fact, that helped her discover her direction. She decided to return to college for a criminal justice degree with a minor in environmental education. According to Courtney, “The courses I’m taking here are highly engaging and very hands on. I have so many knowledgeable professors with years of experience with the FBI and criminal justice system. I know I’m going to be well prepared.”
Courtney enjoys the smallness of the Neumann College community where she says, “I like the humble, serving style everyone has here. It’s very comforting. It’s easy to relate to people. Everyone is always looking out for you and your best interests.” She’s found her niche here, a place to be involved and start lending a hand.
A defensive wing with the women’s lacrosse team, Courtney says she’s always been a student athlete, but what she enjoys most about being part of a sports team is the opportunity it provides for her to help fellow teammates achieve a goal together. Last year the team went to the Conference semi-finals. A Neumann Navigator, she serves as a student ambassador to her high school alma mater, Little Flower. “Now I get to talk about this great place and express my love for Neumann College to others.”
