Name: Matt Murphy
Grade: Sophomore
Major: Intelligence Analysis and Interdisciplinary Religious Studies double major
Hometown: Woodbridge, VA
What student organizations are you involved with on campus?
JMU Student Ambassadors, which serves the office of admissions and the greater JMU community. We’re involved in service projects and giving tours of campus.
JMU Men’s Ultimate Frisbee, which competes in tournaments both in and out of state in the Atlantic Coast region. There’s a high level of competition and athleticism throughout the tournaments each year.
The JMU Armed Forces and Electronics Communications Associations (AFCEA), which is a student led organization that is committed to the purposeful exchange of information and resources essential to networking in the intelligence community. It helps give members the necessary tools to excel in analytic operations.
Many students keep from getting involved because it’s just too much to keep up with. How do you balance it all out?
It’s definitely challenging. Scheduling my time out helps, especially during weeks with a lot of tests and such. My phone calendar has become pretty important in maintaining my schedule and I constantly have reminders alerting me of what I have that day. A lot of times I have to remind myself to eat, which I guess would be great for a diet if I was on one.
What have you gained from your involvement with the JMU community?
Getting involved has allowed me to find my niche in the larger JMU community. One of my favorite parts of JMU is the opportunity to get involved and to find a club that caters exactly to your interests. I’ve gained a lot of great friends along with a lot of opportunities to further explore my interests. Organizations have really helped me find things that I’m passionate about.
Is there a particular organization that you favor the most? Why?
I really do like all the organizations I’m involved in for different reasons. They all provide something unique and have helped me develop as a person.
What advice do you have for those who have yet to get involved on campus?
Just choose something and roll with it. Some of the things I get involved with on campus are the result of a planned initiative, but a lot of them I kind of just fall into. There are so many things that you could be interested in and just not have any idea that you are. Step outside your comfort zone.