Tony Murphy ’24 kept refreshing his e-mail Friday until the long-awaited notification finally came through.
Sitting in his inbox, a birthday wish come true.
Tony celebrated turning 19 on February 9 and found out shortly before 5 p.m. that he was a Morehead-Cain Scholar.
The Morehead-Cain is the oldest merit scholarship in the U.S. and covers four years of education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as funding for summer enrichment activities, independent research, internships, and international study.
When they got the news, Tony and his parents, Kim P’24, P’27 and Tony Sr., P’24, P’27, had just settled into their seats in the Greenie Dome to watch his brother, Myles ’27, play basketball. Faculty member Erykah King was there as well to share in the excitement.
“In that moment, it felt like everything I’d done in school, all the grinding, meant something and was for a reason,” Tony said.
“It was nice to be surrounded by the people who had supported me. It’s one of those things where you feel like it sets you up not only for college, but for the rest of your life. Obviously, you know that school is paid for, but the network of people I’m going to get to meet along the way is something you can’t really get anywhere else. It’s a great moment. It definitely feels like everything that went into it was worth it.”
“A fully-funded educational experience without peer,” is how the Morehead-Cain is billed on its website, with the description of candidates reading as: “driven, courageous, and inquisitive leaders eager to embrace new and unknown experiences.”
Tony began the process of applying for the Morehead-Cain back in October and had his final interview in early February.
Tony’s hometown is Fletcher, N.C. The fifth-year senior has been an exemplary student – taking 11 AP courses during his time at Christ School – and contributed significantly to the fabric of the school community. Tony is the President of the Black Student Union and was chosen to say a prayer in Chapel for Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year. He has assisted the Admissions and College Guidance offices as a liaison. Tony is a member of the Greenie track team and played basketball as an underclassman.
Nothing is set in stone, but Tony expects to study Computer Science at UNC.
Tony is Christ School’s second Morehead-Cain Scholar in three years and said he relied heavily on his friendship with Ty Besses ’22 throughout the process.
“Whenever I had had a question, I could call or text him,” Tony said. “I definitely want to thank Ty for everything.”