Building Connections
A
lthough Cynthia Murphy ’91 (Lambing-Ortega)
grew up in a home without college-educated parents, she always knew she would attend a university. “When I was young, my family traveled around the world because my dad was in the military. I think that as my parents experienced
the world around them, they saw that in order to get to the next level, whatever that may be, you really needed a college education,” she said. “So in my house, it wasn’t ‘Do you want to go to college?’ it was, ‘You’re going to college.’” Even though she was Valedictorian of her high school class and excelled
in math and science, going to college wasn’t without sacrifices. “My parents worked very hard trying to secure the money so I could attend UC Davis. I stayed up many nights trying to perfect those scholarship applications and filling out all the financial aid forms,” she said. “It was hard on me and my parents, and I don’t think I fully appreciated their sacrifices until after I got through school.” It all became worth it when Murphy began living her dream career. She landed a job as a chemical engineer at Chevron Corporation, where she has worked for the past 25 years. Murphy transitioned into human resources in 2011 and is now a Chevron University Partnership Program manager. In this role, she develops strategic relationships with universities, including UC Davis, to help support the curriculum, faculty and facilities they need to lead students to success after college. Murphy recognizes that her passion for student success may partially stem from her past involvement in the Special Transitional Enrichment Program (STEP program), which exposes incoming students to opportunities and support systems on campus. A community of supporters at UC Davis
Murphy came to college unfamiliar with UC Davis or the resources available to her at the university, but her concerns were quickly assuaged by the STEP program. As part of this program, she arrived four
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