Kate Murray ‘14

English Major, French and Cinema studies double minor

TNH Design Editor

For UNH alumna and former The New Hampshire (TNH) design editor Kate Murray, just attending college was an experience in itself, let alone graduating with a degree.

Attending from 2010-14, Murray spent four years in Durham that she said changed her life.

Murray, a former English major with a double minor in French and cinema studies, saw coming to UNH as a new opportunity in her young life, along with being a chance to start anew and make a name for herself in Durham.

“UNH was definitely everything I needed it to be,” Murray said. “I was pretty introverted in high school, so being just far enough away from home and surrounded by people I’ve never met was a great catalyst for a kind of fresh start.”

Indeed it was a fresh start for Murray. The South Portland, Maine native looked to make the most of her time at UNH in a way that didn’t only pertain to her academics. 

“I was 100 percent the whole ‘finding yourself’ cliché,” she said. “But, like it’s only a cliché because it’s true, right? Right.”

Not only did UNH give Murray the chance to branch out and start fresh, it also gave her opportunities to get involved.

Like with many students at UNH, getting out and getting involved in the community and with different organizations is a major part of the overall college experience. It wasn’t any different for Murray.

“I feel like at UNH, I constantly had the opportunity for new experiences through all the different events, clubs and lectures hosted on campus,” Murray said.

When asked about her experience at TNH, Murray had an enthusiastic response.

“It was amazing. I was only there for a year, but those eight-hour production nights are the perfect opportunity for forcing friendships on people,” she said. “Jokes aside, it really was a great experience. I had no idea what I was doing at first, but I learned a lot from the staff and always had fun.”

Aside from her experiences with organizations and clubs, Murray felt her most memorable moments were elsewhere on campus.

It’s a tendency for college students to come across their greatest moments at school with their friends; whether it is hanging out in the dorm or hitting Main Street – they make up some of the most memorable moments for UNH students.

Murray would have to agree, except her most memorable moment was not one in particular; rather it was an entire year of her life at UNH.

“If my entire senior year can count as a single moment, then that would be the most memorable one for sure,” Murray said. “Everything from my roommates, working at TNH, that laughably short Nelly concert, the constant dollar drinks at Libby’s and beer pitchers at [Scorpions], my first Freddy special – it all really just snowballed into the most hilariously magical experience I could have asked for.”

But at the end of the day, Murray can always look back at the memories she made UNH as the time of her life.

“When I look back on the four years I spent there, it’s always positive, and I know I wouldn’t be the person I am now without the people I met and the experiences I had at UNH,” she said.