I AM PSE: A Walk to Remember
I AM PSE: A Walk to Remember
By: Milo Lam
Featuring: Michael Murray
This week in I AM PSE, we honor the accomplishments and presence of Michael Murray, our beloved former president, for his time at Gamma Gamma throughout the past 4 years.
Michael is a Senior Accountancy and Finance double major from Mason, Ohio. Other than PSE, he is involved in the Multicultural Business Association as VP of PD and Collab-Donation as Treasurer. Through his defining leadership as President of our PSE Gamma Gamma Chapter during the 2018 - 2019 term, Michael has found growth within himself in numerous ways.
We can never stray away from a good origins story. Why PSE?
In the fall of my Freshman year, I went to Meet the B-Orgs searching for an organization that would help grow me into a well-rounded business professional. My friend nudged me and told me about PSE, stating that they were the premier business fraternity that I just HAD to go out for. I talked to Alec Remaly, the Director of Recruitment at the time, who really sparked my interest in PSE. I ended up signing up for an interview but backed out as I felt I needed to grow more in college and get more acclimated.
The next semester I felt that I had grown enough and finally interviewed for PSE. During that interview process, I instantly knew this was an organization that I needed to be a part of. The people I met throughout the process made it a no-brainer for me. I knew that if I got into PSE that I was going to gain a tremendous amount of knowledge not only about business but about myself. From there it became my mission to learn as much as possible and to serve PSE in the best capacity I possibly could.
So to answer your question: it was because I saw the constant striving to better each individual member within the chapter.
What does PSE mean to you?
It is difficult to put it into words because PSE means everything to me. PSE has given me a sense of community and family at Miami. Each and every member has pushed me and challenged me to become the best version of myself. Anyone that knows me knows that I would do anything for any of our members in this organization. PSE has shaped me into the person I am today and is the reason why my college experience has been phenomenal.
How has PSE helped guide you to where you are today?
PSE has given me the confidence that I need to go out into the real world and has molded me into a professional who is willing to tackle any issue head on. I remember going to our first meeting in Harrison Hall, completely intimidated by the people I was surrounded by. I saw so many well-developed upperclassmen with their dream internships/jobs and it blew my mind.
This intimidation slowly went away as I started interacting with our members more because I saw a desire to give back in the form of mentorships. I vividly remember sitting down in Doughby’s with Mwoyo Chinoda when interviewing for KPMG my sophomore year. He could tell that I was not ready. I was so nervous that I didn’t have what it took to get my dream job. Although it was the busiest time of his college career interviewing with countless companies, he prepped me for at least 3 hours for that interview. He told me all of the little things I needed to know and even helped rewrite my entire resume. To this day I still call him for advice, knowing that he will be there at any second. The great thing about PSE is that Mwoyo isn’t the only one. I have had countless times where I’ve called on people, even those younger than me, to help and they’ve always stepped up for me.
When I became President, I was so supported and was able to grow so much as a leader. My entire board was patient with me and made me believe in myself. The entire chapter has been so supportive and I owe my successes to them.
What have you achieved at PSE throughout your time here?
I am very fortunate to have been a part of a successful National Convention Awards Competition where we placed first in 9 categories and second in 3 categories out of 14 possible categories, including the Lewis F. Gordon Top Gold Chapter. I personally received the President’s Award for Special Merit-Interchapter Development which recognizes an individual who has furthered the development of PSE on the whole through work with other chapters. Our national convention was an unbelievable experience that I will never forget.
My accomplishments are not individual accomplishments, they are a result of 152 members pushing each other to be better. I didn’t do this alone and I couldn’t have accomplished anything without all of our members.
What are your plans after graduation?
I am moving to Chicago to work for KPMG as a Deal Advisory and Strategy Associate, where a major portion of the work will be within the exciting Mergers and Acquisitions field. I will also be working on a project with Mwoyo so that's definitely something to look forward to.
Any words for the rest of us?
To everyone in PSE, thank you for the best four years of my life!
Patrick McFadden, Marilyn Zubak, Matt McFarland and Lauren Boyd, thank you for being there for me and believing in me. Thank you to my board for an outstanding year. Each one of you has made me a better person.
To those of you still in PSE, fully immerse yourself and take everything in. We as a society take so many things for granted, don’t let that happen during your time in PSE.
To the upperclassmen, think about all of the people that got you to where you are at today, give back and continue to foster tremendous young professionals.
To everyone in the chapter, support Brian McDonald and his board, they are going to make a difference on a lot of people’s lives. I am so excited to see where our chapter goes from here and know that it is only going to get better.
I am going to miss the little moments. Those moments at the carpet square where we all just talk about random things to help us get through the day. I will cherish the friendships that I have built throughout my time in PSE and all four years of memories that have come with them. It is going to be tough to not be able to walk into Harrison Hall each Monday into a room full of my best friends but I’m excited to take on my next adventure!
