Owens Grad McMurray Inspires Classmates, Family
There are many reasons why people choose to go back to school. For Lauren McMurray, there were two very simple reasons.
“I really just wanted to prove to my children that they can do anything they put their mind to,” McMurray said. “I wanted to do it for myself and as a role model for my kids.”
It worked, too. During a class project on the person they admire most, McMurray’s oldest child, a junior in high school, picked her mom.
Set to graduate with her associate degree in Registered Nursing in spring 2025, McMurray’s impact wasn’t just felt by her children, though. Her classmates picked her as the Barbara Rood Student Choice Award recipient.
She has spent thirteen years in the medical field as a surgical technician, so McMurray felt it was her duty to share that knowledge and experience with her classmates. They started a private group message to share information and ask questions.
They also became close friends. McMurray said it was the right group of people at the right time.
“Our whole entire option C (cohort) have stuck together,” McMurray said. “We have all helped each other. It was like no man left behind. … Anything I could do to help them get through these semesters was super important to me.
“This has been the best nursing class to have gone through this with. I don’t think it would have been as easy as it was without every single person. It’s been such a big honor to even meet half of these people.”
McMurray has had to juggle quite a bit. Multiple times a week, she would leave the house at 7 a.m. for work and not return until 9 p.m. after class. She said her husband was a huge support, as were her parents, who live next door and her grandparents, who live across the street.
“It’s been a big sacrifice on everyone’s end, so the fact that it’s coming to an end is bittersweet,” McMurray said.
“It seems like I just started in a sense. It’s hard to believe it’s already been two years.”
McMurray’s oldest daughter is planning on going to nursing school when she graduates in two years. Her experience was so good at school that her mom is trying to convince her daughter to go to Owens.
And her daughter might not be the only one in school, either. Now that she’s attained this degree, McMurray said she’s on a roll and looking for what’s next.
“I want to build off this,” she said.
Published April 2025