Meghan Murray

Elon University, Love School of Business

“Passionate about people, food, Trader Joe’s, and traveling. Will say “yes” to just about anything.”

Fun fact about yourself: I love to travel and studied abroad three times while at Elon. I studied in Zambia and Botswana during my freshman year winter term, Israel during my sophomore year winter term, and Germany during my junior year fall semester. I was supposed to study abroad a fourth time this past winter term in Australia, Indonesia, and Singapore but it didn’t pan out due to the pandemic.

Hometown: Bel Air, Maryland

High School: C. Milton Wright

Major: International Business; Finance

Minor: N/A

Favorite Business Course: Financial Planning with Professor Chase Reid

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College: (Include school awards and honors)

Extracurriculars Activities and Involvement:

• VP of Membership & VP of Chapter Affairs, Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity
• Student Representative, Love School of Business Board of Advisors
• Student Co-Chair, Women in Entrepreneurship Conference
• Marketing Chair, Financial Management Association
• Teaching Assistant, Honors Fellows Elon 101
• Assistant Director of Dancer Relations, “Elonthon” Dance Marathon
• Volunteer, Junior Achievement
• Member, Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority

Honors and Awards:

• Honors Fellow
• Presidential Scholarship Award
• Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society (Vice President)
• Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
• Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society
• Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society
• Stout Women in Business Scholarship/Award
• Daniel Cavarretta Award (for undergraduate research)
• Benjamin Grover Johnston Award (Love School of Business Award)
• Andras Family Award (Love School of Business Award)
• All-AKPsi Academic Team
• Presidents List

Where have you interned during your college career?

• EY (virtually for the Charlotte, NC office) – Financial Services Business Consulting Intern
• Peregrine Technologies (Berlin, Germany) – Business Development Intern
• MetLife (Cary, NC) – Business Strategy & Planning Intern, Global Technology Services
• Smiths Detection (Edgewood, MD) – Product Management/Marketing Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? EY (Charlotte, NC) – Financial Services Business Consultant

What company do you admire most? I most admire my Dad’s company, Gold Medal Physical Therapy. My Dad has worked hard to foster an incredible company culture where all of the employees feel like family, which has heavily influenced my job and internship searches by steering me towards firms that prioritize their company culture. Additionally, Gold Medal truly embodies their three guiding pillars:

1) Be a blessing

2) Excellence is our standard

3) Results matter

The latter is evident on a daily basis in the lasting impact they have on their patients. Gold Medal sets a high bar for themselves and does everything they can to meet or exceed that bar. I’m proud of my fad for all of the hard work and dedication he has put into the company.

Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor is Alyssa Martina. Professor Martina utilizes creative and unique teaching methods to make students think more critically and on a deeper level. She has extensive real-world experience that she pulls from to enhance the learning experience for her students. In addition to being a great teacher, Professor Martina is personally invested in her students’ success and goes above and beyond by generously offering her assistance in several ways such as connecting students with those in her network, providing individuals with leadership and professional opportunities, and being an invaluable mentor to numerous students. Professor Martina has been an incredible mentor to me during my time at Elon and I am very grateful for the impact she has had on my life.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? It’s all about relationships! Networking and forming new relationships are key to learning more and expanding your horizons. Each person has a unique background and set of experiences, so try to connect with and learn from as many people as you can.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Get involved beyond the classroom. While classes provide you with invaluable knowledge, it is important to get involved in clubs, organizations, case competitions, and other opportunities in the business school and beyond. These opportunities enable you to further your interpersonal skills, take on leadership roles, find upperclassmen and faculty mentors, gain exposure to areas you may not cover in classes, and build your network.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I was most surprised by the amount of career paths that stem from majoring in business. I originally had a more limited understanding of business careers, thinking most students become entrepreneurs or end up in investment banking, accounting, wealth management, or marketing. I now realize that while many do pursue those careers, there are plenty more options that I never even knew existed (like consulting, which is what I will be doing after graduation). And if students don’t find an existing career path that fits them, they can decide to forge their own.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? If I could do something differently in business school, it would be to learn more about technology and take at least one coding class. The business world and our society as a whole have become extremely dependent on technology and that dependence will continue for time to come. Having a solid understand on how to best utilize different platforms such as Python, R, plus other technology resources is invaluable, and I hope to learn more and sharpen my skills in this area moving forward.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? The achievement I am most proud of is running a half marathon this past year. This is a goal I wanted to accomplish at some point in my life, so when quarantine hit I figured it was the perfect opportunity! I set a date and started training. When the time came, I went to a trail and ran 13.1 miles. I really enjoyed it and plan on running another one in an actual race setting once the pandemic is over!

Which classmate do you most admire? I most admire Robert (Robbie) Miley, a senior majoring in Finance and Mathematics. He balances so many commitments and responsibility on campus, including being the Executive Student Body President during one of the hardest years to take on that position. He devotes his whole self to everything he does and does anything he can to help others. I am lucky to be classmates and friends with Robbie and know many others feel the same way!

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my dad for my success. My dad is the hardest worker and smartest person I know, and I definitely credit him with my drive and work ethic. He devotes his whole self to everything he does and starting his own physical therapy practice was no exception. By asking him questions about his company from a young age, I have learned so much about what goes into running a business and being an effective leader. He also taught me what grit and resilience are when he had to adapt and alter his role in the business after getting hit by a drunk driver. In addition to all of these things, my dad instilled in me the importance of prioritizing family, ensuring that he always makes time for us no matter how busy things get. My dad supports and encourages me through every aspect of my life and I owe much of much of my success to him.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

• Get my MBA
• Utilize my position to make a positive impact on my community

What are your hobbies? Running/exercising, hanging out with friends, cooking (& eating), and traveling.

What made Meghan such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021?  

“Meghan Murray is an incredibly dedicated student. She has a passion for learning which is evident in her pursuit of completing a double major in International Business and Finance. She has put a great deal of effort into all her classes, and I would expect all her teachers would echo this sentiment. However, I think where Meghan truly shines is outside the classroom. I have witnessed this first-hand over the past two years as her mentor for her Honor’s thesis project. During this time, I have witnessed Meghan’s growth, from an inquisitive mind full of thoughtful question exploring spiritual intelligence and leadership, to a leader who organizes and facilitates research meetings with both professionals and academics alike. I am impressed with her enthusiasm and confidence. And I am excited to see all she will accomplish upon graduating from Elon University.”

Carri A. Reisdorf, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of International Business

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