This three-part series spotlights three Syracuse University students graduating early from college — part 2 of 3.

Cheyanne Murdock said she always had the heart to help others, and the sooner she could do so professionally, the better. That’s why she decided to graduate early.

Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in policy studies this winter, Murdock is about to transition into the next chapter of her life in social work. Although John Cirelli, Murdock’s grandfather, wanted her to follow in his footsteps and become a marine, he said he’s still excited that she’s graduating early, because it “puts her a little ahead of the game.”

Describing her mother as someone who always gave what she had, Murdock said she got an early start to helping people. As a child, Murdock raised $500 for Rwandan refugees and sent the money to her church. But she really credits her grandfather, a parent figure who watched after her when her mother was at work, for her philanthropic spirit.

“We were always watching the news,” Murdock said about her grandfather. “He was always teaching me things beyond my age level.”

Murdock is the first of her family to finish college. She said she is entirely grateful for the support of friends and faculty at Syracuse University.

William Coplin, a public affairs professor, was one of her biggest motivators to graduate early, she said. Murdock used to meet up with him and discuss topics such as her class schedule and her dreams of joining the Peace Corps.

“I hope she gets in,” Coplin said of Murdock’s ambitions. “It will be a good move for her. This will be a good step after college.”

Murdock recently applied for the Peace Corps, making it through the nomination and interview stages. She is very hopeful, and if accepted, would love to travel as much as possible and maybe teach English.

Having traveled since she was 15, and visited various places including Italy, Mexico and California, Murdock said it would make sense for her to settle down somewhere foreign. Ideally, she hopes to land a position in Sierra Leone.

“Hopefully it can lead me to a career choice in the future,” she said.

Murdock jokingly called her hometown of Barryville, NY, “the boondocks,” and SU stood in stark contrast to it. Undeterred by a new environment, though, she pushed her sleeves up and got to work, becoming familiar with the area, and ultimately sparking her interest in social work.

Even with prior experience in humanitarianism, Murdock said she is sometimes unsure about what she’ll do now that she’s graduated. Originally she came to SU with dreams of becoming a high school teacher. In her first year, Murdock became a tutor at the Syracuse University Literacy Corps, a program in which students work as tutors in urban schools. During her sophomore year, she read to pre-kindergarten and fourth grade students, some of whom spoke English as a second language.

But though she enjoyed volunteering, Murdock said she found aspects of education to be too repetitive, and in her spring semester of junior year declared a major in policy studies.

“I’m not one of those people who can do the same thing every day. It gets really repetitive for me,” Murdock said. “I like to be up and doing different things. I felt like education and being a teacher was repetitive.”

In 2013, Murdock interned at Fighting AIDS through Case management, Education and Supportive Services, or FACES, in the south side of Syracuse. She mainly focused on researching grants for the program, organizing client’s files and working with members of the community with HIV/AIDS.

Knowing she wants to help people, Murdock wants to work for a nonprofit organization in either Oregon or Washington if she doesn’t make it to the Peace Corps.

Until she does decide on what to do in her post-graduation life, Murdock said she’ll be staying in Syracuse with her friends, and returning to FACES in January to take charge of fundraising and coming up with new programs for the community.

Published on December 22, 2013 at 5:31 pm

Contact Elaina: ekcrocke@syr.edu