Jade Murphy ’17

Jade Murphy ’17 is the antithesis of the millennial stereotype – and she is determined to “change the conversation” regarding negative assumptions about her generation. An articulate leader with a relentless work ethic, Murphy represents the best of future business.

Murphy earned the prestigious Gold Medallion Leadership Challenge certification from UNCG’s Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement and is demonstrating those skills. She connects her peers with corporate, governmental, and non-profit executives through the National Millennial Community. Her promise as a leader is reminiscent of a dynamic businesswoman and former UNCG professor: Jade Murphy could be a younger version of Dr. Kathy White Loyd.

A non-traditional student with two children living in rural Arkansas, Kathy White Loyd also defied stereotypes. Her determination to acquire higher education led her to MBA and doctoral degrees; her knowledge of the struggle for employment in rural areas motivated her to seek solutions. As an associate professor in the Bryan School of Business and Economics, Dr. Loyd’s decade of work at UNCG revealed a penchant for student success, paired with an innovative ability to create virtual internships leading to employment. She founded Rural Sourcing, Inc., providing computer technology employment in rural America, creating more than 100 jobs.

Dr. Loyd’s impressive career after leaving UNCG includes dynamic work as an executive with four Fortune 500 companies. She returned in 2013, where she continues to donate her time and expertise to UNCG’s Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management as an Executive in Residence. Dr. Loyd’s prevailing belief that education is vital to the advancement of both the individual and society is demonstrated by her generosity of more than one million dollars in scholarships and funding to support business students and technology in North Carolina, Arkansas, and West Virginia.

Millennial Murphy is one of Dr. Loyd’s scholarship beneficiaries.

Murphy was featured on a National Millennial Community online video panel discussion, “Securing a Job/Career,” with college millennials from Hawaii to North Carolina. Their assertions that selflessness, humility, and perseverance generate a positive job search experience defy negative millennial stereotypes.

Murphy observed that everyone wants that “high-paying cool tech job,” an expectation which may not be immediately fulfilled. It’s important to “have humility, but still continue to persevere.”

“Whatever opportunity you get, you can still learn from it, no matter what,” she concluded.

From a prevailing powerhouse to a mighty millennial, education and a persevering positive focus are changing the conversation.

Story by Zoe Dillard, Donor Relations