The William Murphy Scholarship

Criteria: ($1,250 Award) The William Murphy scholarship’s first preference is that it be awarded to an incoming freshman who is a graduate of Worcester’s North High School and a commuter student with an interest in co-curricular activities. Second preference will be given to an incoming freshman who is a graduate of a Worcester public high school. Candidates should provide a short essay attesting to the need for this grant and their interest in becoming involved in co-curricular activities.

William Murphy, class of ’93, understands the sacrifices some students must make to pay their way through Worcester State University. Throughout his time as a student there, he worked nearly full-time to afford his full course schedule. That and living off campus left little time to try out for a sports team or become involved in a student club.
Now a successful Certified Mortgage Planner, Bill wants to give future students facing the same situation a helping hand so they can join a team or club. “I would rather not see high school graduates decide against going to college because of financial obstacles,” he said.
Bill is known to persevere through trying circumstances. Upon graduation from Worcester’s North high School in 1989, where he was captain of the football team, it would have been easy for him to forgo college because he faced paying for it himself. He decided to rise to the challenge and put himself through Worcester State University.
Armed with a bachelor’s degree in psychology – and later a master’s degree from Framingham State University – Bill worked for Worcester’s Department of Youth Services five years and after moving to California, as a loan officer with a mortgage company.
He found the mortgage business to be tremendously satisfying because he was counseling people about the most important decisions of their lives – buying a home. In addition to being a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist with Fairway New England Mortgage in Auburn, Bill was recognized for his approach to his clients as a recipient of the Worcester Business Journal’s “2006 40 under 40.”
Bill’s approach to business is based on exceptional customer service and communication. Bill holds annual Client Appreciation Nights with Make-A-Wish at the DCU Center featuring the Worcester Sharks, as well as annual Holiday Parties. Bill also holds annual Patriot and Red Sox ticket-giveaways as part of his client appreciation campaign and has done so for well over a decade. In addition to holding annual client appreciation events and ticket- giveaways; Bill teaches monthly Residential Mortgage Loan and Credit Market Today Seminars at the Worcester Regional Association of Realtors where he was named ‘Affiliate of the Year’ in 2007. He has also been a consistent top contributor of referrals for the BNI Profit Rockets business networking group and is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the Worcester Area Chamber of Commerce. As of 2016, Bill’s commitment to the community has led to nearly twenty wishes and counting fulfilled for children of Make-A-Wish.
Bill decided to establish a scholarship in 2008 because giving back to his alma mater is important to him. It is just one of several ways he has reconnected with Worcester State University. He has also presented to business students, met individually with students about internship and job interviews, participated in mentoring events sponsored by the Alumni Office and Career Services, and was honored as a Distinguished Alumni in 2007. Not only is Bill one of many Worcester State University Alumni who lead by example, but he is the University’s youngest alumnus to establish a scholarship.
“Giving back to Worcester State University is important to me. I can’t forget my roots. I feel privileged to be successful and I want to do something remarkable with my success,” he said.
Bill devised this scholarship with his roots in mind and as such it will give future North High School graduates who attend Worcester State University as a commuter student the financial flexibility they may need to join a club or team.