UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Lenneya Murray is a fourth-year student at Penn State majoring in criminology and minoring in sociology in the College of the Liberal Arts. The Paterno Fellow, Schreyer Scholar and Bunton-Waller Fellow is a first-generation student who channels her leadership skills into advocacy and empowerment as she navigates her final year as a Penn State undergraduate.
Throughout her undergraduate journey, the Brooklyn, New York, native has gotten involved on campus and has embraced numerous leadership roles to maximize her experience at the University. This fall, she was initiated into the Mu Eta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. She is the former president of Penn State’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and is now the second vice president of Pennsylvania’s NAACP Youth and College Division, where she oversees all of the NAACP college chapters across the state.
Additionally, Murray is the Pennsylvania Democracy Fellow for NAACP, collaborating with national staff and peers from other battleground states to enhance voter turnout and accessibility.
“My role as the Democracy Fellow involves working with national staff and fellow advocates to increase voter registration and ensure that voting is accessible to everyone,” Murray said.
Although she has stepped down from her presidency at the University’s NAACP chapter, she still works with the organization to plan voter education and voter registration events and has been supportive along the way. She said she was happy to pass the torch as she takes a step back to focus on her final year at Penn State.
Additionally, Murray is the diversity and inclusion chair for the Penn State Mock Trial Association. Her work involves collaborating with other officers in Mock Trial to discuss diversity. They explore what discrimination looks like in a mock trial setting and how various backgrounds — such as race, ethnicity, neurodivergence and other traits — impact individuals' experiences.
“I’m trying to create an open forum for those conversations,” Murray said. “We’ve had those positions for a few years. No one’s really done anything with it, so it’s really a blank slate — I’m really excited for that.”
This year, Murray was also nominated for the Homecoming Student Court, an experience she described as a “core memory.” From participating in the Homecoming parade to being down on the field during the Homecoming football game, Murray said she was appreciative of this unique experience. Reflecting on Homecoming week, she shared how it provided a valuable break from her busy schedule.
“It was a week of bonding, recognition, appreciation and celebration. Homecoming week was a forced block in your schedule to take a second, look at all that you have accomplished, look at all the people around you who have done great things and relax for a minute,” Murray said.
Murray was selected to be a Bunton-Waller Fellow, a program that offers scholarships to students who have demonstrated academic potential and would “enhance the broad and diverse student population at Penn State.” The program was named in honor of both Mildred Settle Bunton, class of 1932, the first African American woman to graduate from the University, and Calvin Hoffman Waller, class of 1904, the first African American individual to graduate from Penn State.
Murray has also found invaluable support through the College of the Liberal Arts. The college has provided enrichment funding for internships and education abroad through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network. Murray was also invited to serve as a panelist at the Liberal Arts First-Gen Mixer in April 2024, where she shared her experience as a first-generation student and gave advice to her peers.
“In the past year, the college has really supported me as a first-generation student,” Murray said. “Being invited to be a panelist at the event by the Liberal Arts First-Generation Committee was a really big honor, especially because I was the only student panelist among faculty and staff panelists. Dean Clarence Lang, who is also first-generation, was at the event. I’ve gotten to speak with him, and I have that connection now, which is unique and helpful.”
Murray said that the College of the Liberal Arts has also been supportive by publicly recognizing her achievements through social media. The college tagged her in posts throughout Homecoming week to congratulate her.
“It’s kind of like morale and motivation and recognition of what I’m doing, which holds a lot of weight for me now in my fourth year as I’m getting ready to leave,” Murray said. “It’s nice to have the college see that, congratulate me and appreciate what I’ve been doing.”
As Murray is preparing to graduate this coming spring, she is in the process of applying to law school to pursue criminal law, as she wants to represent and advocate for victims of domestic violence, she said. Going to law school is something that Murray always knew she wanted to do and now is excited to make happen.
“I’m very focused on representing victims of domestic violence as that’s a cause that really speaks to me, and I’ve taken classes on it," Murray said. "I’ve also been pretty involved with initiatives on campus surrounding domestic violence.”
As a first-generation student, Murray said she often feels the weight of high stakes — every small misstep seems like it could jeopardize her chances of getting into her dream law school. She constantly reassures herself that there is room for mistakes and recognizes the importance of leaning on her support system, particularly the resources available through the College of the Liberal Arts.