By Regina Stracqualursi
After visiting the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) campus for an Accepted Students Day, Maeve Murphy ’26 knew she had found the place where she belongs. “I felt like this was the place for me,” she said. “Listening to everyone talk so passionately about what they do sparked a passion inside me.”
When she decided to attend RPI, Murphy also decided to continue her family’s legacy at the Institute as a fourth-generation RPI student. Her great-grandfather Arthur Murphy graduated from RPI in 1932 and her grandfather James Murphy graduated in 1960. Her father, Sean Murphy, is a member of the Class of 1986.
“My family was very happy to hear I wanted to attend Rensselaer, but they would support my decision wherever I chose to go,” Murphy said. “They have continued to support me every step of the way.”
After playing soccer and competing in indoor and outdoor track and field for four years in high school, Murphy wanted athletics to be part of her college experience because she wanted to keep improving. She became a sprinter and jumper on the RPI women’s track and field team. “When I jump, it makes me feel like I am in another place. It feels safe,” she said. “When I step onto the track, whether it’s to jump or to get into the blocks for a race, everything goes silent and I feel alone — just me and the track.”
While she only completed her first indoor track season so far, she’s already achieved some of her personal bests in the long jump, the 200-meter sprint, and the 400-meter sprint.
Though Murphy has not yet chosen a specific discipline, she knows that she wants to change the world as an engineer. “I have enjoyed working with my peers and professors to understand aspects of the engineering world more deeply,” Murphy said. “RPI has many opportunities for someone like me to explore and find their passion.”
