Help UC Grad Win Inspirational Story Contest

After overcoming a heroin addiction, Cory Murphy moved to Cincinnati for a fresh, clean start in 2004. Murphy turned his life around and graduated with honors from the University of Cincinnati last year and now has the chance to give back to the international programs that helped change his life ––

but he needs your vote to do it.

Murphy was recently selected as one of 25 finalists in an

inspirational story contest

, which will award a

grand prize of $150,000

to the one with the most online votes. Online voters can

cast their click for Murphy

 through Friday, Nov. 11. 

The

#WhyISoFi

contest is sponsored by SoFi — short for Social Finance — which helps graduates refinance student loans. If he wins, Murphy says he will pay off his student loan debt then help young people experience an international education.

“It was the UC cooperative education and University Honors programs that inspired me to change my life and go to the University of Cincinnati,” says Murphy. “After the privilege of seeing the world through UC’s study abroad program, I realized the amazing educational perspective this had given me.

“While I was the president of the International Business Club, I formed an outreach program called the Early Exposure Program with other club members who went out to speak at local high schools about the value of an international co-op education ––

especially the importance of going abroad as early as their freshman year.”

When Murphy graduated, the program became idle, but now that he’s working for General Electric Aviation’s Global Leadership Program, he hopes to revive the UC program he started as a student in 2012.

Murphy, who earned the 2015 UC Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence Award among other student awards, was featured in a

UC Magazine article

last fall that chronicled his journey from drug use in high school to his ultimate success as a UC honors student.

“The article in UC Magazine helped change my life,”

claims Murphy. “It led to my invitation to speak in April at a

Think Regional Conference

on heroin addiction in Ohio.”

Murphy gathered a large enough following from the speaking engagement to eventually launch his own blog called

“The Murphy Method”

to help others overcome addiction.

And Murphy sees this SoFi contest as an opportunity to help even more.

“This contest is more than a vote for me; this is a chance to broaden UC’s reach into the larger community by introducing new students to the valuable opportunities an international education can bring,” says Murphy.

“Traveling the world through UC’s international co-op experience opened my eyes to the importance of gaining a world perspective, not only for business but for reaching people in need ––

people from all walks of life who need that extra push or inspiration.”

• Watch Murphy's Video and Vote