As a young professional, John Murphy took on the personal responsibility of running his father’s business by becoming a master plumber. After his father became ill and was ready to retire, John left his undergraduate career behind and went straight to the workforce.
After years of owning and running the family business, John was ready for a new scene. He transitioned into a bigger world when he started with SEPTA as a plumber. After 10 more years of working in his specialty, he decided he was ready to learn and grow even further in his career, which meant heading back to school.
Launching His Business Career
Thanks to conversations with his father-in-law, John was inspired to go toward the direction of business. So, with his goals in mind, he enrolled at Delaware County Community College (DCCC) ready and eager to achieve his associate degree.
Once John started hitting the books again, he discovered he had a more direct passion within the business world: Accounting. He had personal experiences where he learned first-hand how to balance some tax issues, which escalated his new possible career path.
After graduating from DCCC with his Associate in Science in Business Management, John was ready to narrow down his business mindset and focus on this new passion he had discovered. In 2015, John enrolled at Peirce College and began chasing his Bachelor of Science in Accounting.
His new career idea was only amplified as he continued to take classes with Peirce. “The accounting and finance professors here are phenomenal and kept my fascination alive. The real-world experiences professors talk about really draw you in,” explained John, “My wife would wonder why I would come home so late; it was because I would just sit there and listen to them.”
“The accounting and finance professors here are phenomenal and kept my fascination alive.”
The Opportunity for Flexibility
As much as the professors were a huge draw for John’s positive experience with Peirce, there was something else that kept him coming back session after session: Peirce Fit®. This innovative learning model allowed for John to balance his current job and his education. “Peirce Fit makes life a lot easier. You can always tell when you hit a hard spot in class because everyone is there, which is great,” said John, “I actually got sick for a couple weeks, so chose to do it online, and it eliminated the stress of needing to come to class. It’s nice having the choice.”
John even took a little trip down memory lane by discussing how he believes Peirce’s founder would truly appreciate and support this flexible opportunity, “Peirce Fit is definitely something Thomas May Peirce would have done and enforced. Based on what I have read, he was always trying to innovate and make things work for every individual.”
As a working adult, Peirce Fit made John’s Peirce experience much more relaxed and enjoyable. This led to his desire to come to campus more often and really create lasting connections. He said, “Peirce has such a sense of community. I didn’t realize how much I missed out on when I did all online. Now I have connections with people I have taken class with for two or more years. As I wrap up my career with Peirce, I am truly sad.”
Reaching His Goal
John officially wrapped up his bachelor’s in June 2018 when he earned his degree in Accounting. As a successful alum, John has wise words to share with other students trying to achieve the same goal, “Make small goals; make a simple plan. Register out for one year and focus on that. If you look at how big and how long the trip is, it makes it harder to tackle. Look at things one step at a time and, remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
Peirce College is incredibly proud to have served a student like John Murphy who is not only a dedicated learner, but also a successful working adult who holds the position of Manager of Facilities Programs with SEPTA. Congratulations to John on all of his accomplishments from school to work to life. We wish him much continued success!