MCM: JayPay Meets World

Another weekend has come and gone... why is it that Monday is so far away from Friday, but Friday is so close to Monday? Riddle me that, universe. 

Anyway, to get us out of our Manic Monday blues, it's time for another installment of MCM! Did you read our last one? If not, here you go. 

This week's is none other than JP Murray!

Can you tell me about your background? School? 

I attended that University of Akron for my bachelor’s degree to become an Intervention Specialist: Mild to Moderate Disabilities. I got always to student teaching and make the decision that I no longer wanted to teach. I found a new passion of working closely with college level students on the Student Affairs side of the house of Higher Education. My work that I was doing with Greek Life and Residence Life and Housing pushed me towards this decision. So, in the Fall of 2014, I attended the University of Toledo. Where I ended up graduating two years later with my master’s degree in Higher Education Administration.

What do you do for a living?

I live for the times where I create unforgettable memories with people. I love being able to meet up somewhere with a group of friends, and have no plan for the night other than hanging out together. Nights like this end up being some of my favorite memories, because they could lead you to a table that you had no plan of sitting at, on a patio of a random bar in Akron that you just happen to go to that night. Than you end up meeting some of your best friends that you had not idea existed until that very moment, and 4 years later you are being featured in her blog…

If you’re not doing it, what would your dream job be?

My dream job is to become a Dean of Students for a College/University. I am not there yet, because I do not have anywhere near enough experience. I can also see myself becoming a Vice President, but truly I have no clue where I will end up.

How important is social media to your business?

Very important! It is one of main communication tools to get in contact with our residents to let them know about events, and other programs that we may have going on. We also use social media as a marketing tool, to let perspective residents what specials we may have going on, or events they may be able to attend.

What can others learn from you?

I think what others can learn from me is this. The darkest hour is only sixty minutes long.  There are going to be times in our lives that things seem to always be going wrong, but that’s okay. You are doing the best you can with what you have in that moment.

My last year at Akron, I was in and out of the hospital for months, applying for graduate school, running a fraternity, working full-time and trying to graduate. It was hard work, but it made me a better person in the end. I knew that if I worked hard, and pushed on, I would find that light at the end of that tunnel. There are going to be times in our lives where life seems to keep throwing things at us, but it is in those moments that we truly learn how durable we are.

How do you do under pressure? How do you handle stress?

I believe that I am very good under pressure. I don’t normally get flustered or mad when things start to go wrong. I think it is because I am a true believer in “Murphy’s Law”: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. When it comes to event planning or work I normally just roll with the punches, and handle each situation as it comes up.

Stress is the only thing that I believe can get the best of me, if I allow it to stack up. That’s when I start to feel overwhelmed with everything going on,

What’s the average day in the life of JP look like?
I wake up at 6 am, and take my dad to work. After I drop him off, I normal head to the University YMCA to work out. I wrap up my work out around 8:15, shower and head to work. Work all day, until 5 pm. After work depends on what time of year it is, because there is about 4 months out of the year. I teach environmental education (EE) at night to 5^th and 6^th grade students, out at Camp Christopher in Bath, Township. I do this about three to four times a week, and I normal do not get home until 11pm.

Now if I am not working EE, I normal head home or out to meet up with friends. I have started getting back into volleyball, so I play sand volleyball on Monday nights with a group of friends. I would love to be able to play court volleyball or starting playing basketball again. I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Do you/Did you have a mentor/mentee?
I have a few people that I consider to be mentors. One of my biggest mentors would have to be Dr. Debra Harmening, we called her Dr. H. She was my professors at the University of Toledo, for my master’s degree. Dr. H just has such an amazing outlook on life. I still remember to this day the first thing she said in my first class with her. She told us that life can take everything from us, but our education. Life can take our money, or our house, but our knowledge/education can never be stripped from us.

There are also a million and one Greek Advisors/Higher Education that I consider to be All-Stars!! Brittany Papcaik from Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity, Dennis Campbell: Assistant Director for Kent State Greek Life, Dr. Matthew Richardson: Program Manager for Greek Life at Pitt., Mandy Womack: Director of Greek Life University of San Diego, and Thad Doyle: Associate Director University of Akron. These are just some of the amazing people that work in the field of higher education that I look up too.

How did you advance your career?

If I stay within my current position, I believe that I will move up rather quickly. I joined the company right when it was starting, so within the next few months I believe that I will move up to become the Property Manager. I hope soon after up, I will continue to move up as we grow our properties around Ohio. Now if I move out of my current position, it will take time and experience for me to advance my career

Who or what is your greatest inspiration?
My greatest inspiration is an old teacher of mine. She told me that I would amount to nothing, and I should just give up now. So, I have worked my ass off since that day to better myself. For whatever reason, this terrible human being is still aloud to teach. Once I graduated from the University of Akron, I dropped off the program. I highlighted my name, and wrote a note telling her that it’s because of that comment she made, that I pushed myself so hard. I did the same thing when I graduated with my master’s degree.

She is the worst human being I know, and every chance I get. I will shove it in her face that I am making something of myself.

What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment was a presentation that I did for all the New Member of Greek Life at the University of Toledo. The presentation was called “Puzzle Pieces”, and it is a presentation on hazing. Now this kind of presentation is considered “High Risk/High Reward”. What that means is, that if everything goes as planned, then the message will be received by everyone. Now, if it doesn’t go as planned, well then it crashes and burns.

I have done the presentation now, 5 times. Each time has been a huge success. We did a survey after each one, and complied what we found. 98% stated that they have a better understanding of what Hazing is now, 97% stated that every active member should have to go through this exact presentation, and 98% said they would recommended it to people outside of Greek Life.

Also graduating with my master’s degree.

Do you have a ‘must have’ accessory? Or something you feel is your signature look?

My hair is pretty important to me. I get pretty pissed if it looks bad. Hahaha

What advice can you give on failure?
That it is okay to fail! Failure helps you grow as a person. It allows you to realize what areas of your life or career that you may need to work on. Here is a story: It took me 8 months to find a job after I graduated with my masters. Not only that, I was in 17 final round interviews, and 15 of them told me that I was their second choice. 15 times people told me that I was good, but not good enough!

I believe it helps you grow as a person. It helps you become who you are meant to be. I mean think, Oprah got fired before becoming the Oprah we know! Vera Wang didn’t design her first dress until she was 40, and Harrison Ford was a 30-year-old carpenter before becoming the movie star we know him to be! Failure helps us grow as people!

What was your big break?
I don’t think I have had my big break yet, at least I hope not! I still have a lot of things left, that I want to accomplish. This is only the start of my journey.

Are you a member of any organizations? Trade Organizations, etc.
Founding Brother of the Kappa Lambda Chapter of Sigma Nu Fraternity at the University of Akron

Association for Fraternity and Sorority Advisers

Autism Speaks

Friends of Camp Christopher

What’s next for you? 

I have absolutely no clue what is next for me, and I am totally fine with that. There is so much that I want to do in my life, and I don’t want to put a time limit on when I want to accomplish it. What I do know is this: This year I am going to Las Vegas for the first time, and I will also be traveling to three other cities that I have not been to before. Next year (2018), I am traveling to New Zealand with two friends. So, I plan is every other year to travel in the USA and then another country.

As of now, that is what is next. I love having no plan, no idea what is going to be coming down the pipeline. It makes the current moments in life that much more enjoyable. 

Thanks JP!

xo,

KJB

Keep up with JP by following him on Twitter: @JayPay20

Did you see last week's MCM post? Check back next week for another MCM feature!