Shane Murphy ’18, MBA ’22 grew up with either a football or a hockey or lacrosse stick in his hands. The Central New York native loved competing and being part of a team, and earned a Division I lacrosse scholarship to a college in southeastern New York. But eventually Murphy could no longer play the sport he loved and, wanting instead to focus on the future, found himself at a crossroads. He was curious, focused and disciplined; he wanted to build a life that was both meaningful and successful, and to put the lessons he’d learned as an athlete about teamwork, resilience and working toward a common goal to good use. But, he wondered, how?
The answer to that question came in the form of a conversation with Jim Joseph ’83, dean of the Madden School of Business, when Murphy was at home for Thanksgiving break one year. As Murphy recalls, Joseph did not say much, but he listened carefully to him and helped guide his thinking about where he interests and talents aligned with the world’s needs. Their conversation led Murphy to transfer to Le Moyne, where he earned an undergraduate degree in finance and business analytics. He asked questions whenever and wherever he could, made connections with his classmates and faculty members, and grew to realize how truly fortunate he was to have a clear understanding of what it was that he wanted to do moving forward.
Today Murphy is a wealth management associate at Michael Roberts Associates Inc., where his primary focus is financial planning, portfolio construction and client support. He is also pursuing an MBA Analytics from the College. The program is ranked number 33 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. For Murphy, the decision to continue his graduate work at the Le Moyne was a simple one, grounded in the connections he made on campus as an undergraduate and the College’s commitment to the whole person. He is absorbing all that he can, professionally and academically.
As for what is next, Murphy is focused on continuing to develop his skill sets, nurturing quality relationships and making a difference in the lives of the people around him.
“I’m a big believer that material things like raises and promotions have a way of taking care of themselves,” he says. “As long as I’m doing what is right for me, I’m happy where I am and I’m moving toward, then I can say with confidence that I’m in the ideal place for me.”
This is part of a series of stories on students pursuing a graduate degree from the Madden School of Business.