Amber Murray, a 2025 graduate of La Salle University, embodies what it means to stare down adversity and come out stronger on the other side.
While pursuing her nursing degree, Murray faced a challenge few could imagine: receiving a breast cancer diagnosis just one week before her senior year was set to begin. Through chemotherapy, surgery, and targeted drug therapy, she not only stayed enrolled but continued to excel, completing her fall clinicals early and graduating with honors.
Her journey is a powerful reminder that determination and discipline can carry us through even the most difficult seasons of life.
Murray’s nursing journey has been two decades in the making. After beginning college right out of high school, life’s twists and turns delayed her plans, but never her passion. She found her calling in healthcare early, first as a medical records technician at 20, right as electronic documentation was revolutionizing the field.
By 2007, she had become a medical assistant, supporting physicians across a range of specialties. That foundation gave Murray both the technical skill and emotional resilience to handle the demands of nursing school, especially while undergoing treatment.
Staying organized also played a major role in her continual progress. She lists time management, organizational skills, and a positive attitude as the backbone for getting through the toughest times.
“I graduated nursing school maintaining honors and beat cancer simultaneously,” Murray says. “I had to plan my days according to how I was feeling with treatment, what was due, plus work and home responsibilities. Keeping a planner and coordinating assignments was key in success.”
When asked who inspires her, Murray points to one of the great pioneers in her field: Mary Breckinridge.
“She was a nursing pioneer in the 1920s in rural Kentucky,” Murray says. “She saw a need for the people in rural areas in and outside of her community and created the ‘frontier nursing service,’ providing comprehensive care to these families.”
Much like Breckinridge, Murray has dedicated her life to service, even in moments when her own health demanded focus. Her story echoes that same compassion and courage that define the best of nursing.
Throughout her journey, Murray has relied on one powerful piece of advice that keeps her moving forward, even if that forward movement may feel minimal in the moment.
“Persistence and patience pave the way for success,” she says. “Small steps over time turn into great distances.”
Those words carried her through treatment, coursework, and clinicals, reminding her that progress, no matter how slow, is still movement toward healing and achievement.
The NSLS has also played a part in her growth, helping her refine goal-setting techniques and connect with peers who share her drive. “The NSLS has helped me hone in on my goals and network with other members,” she says.
With these skills and a strong mindset, Murray is inching towards all her goals.
Murray’s next step is finding her first nursing position, with an eye on a future career in oncology, a field that now holds a deeply personal significance.
Her ambition reflects her professional commitment and her empathy for patients facing the very journey she’s walked herself.
For those striving to become better leaders, Murray believes the most powerful form of leadership comes from action, not necessarily words.
“Great leaders lead by example,” she says. “Never expect something of someone else you would not do yourself.”
To her, leadership isn’t about hierarchy or authority; it’s about impact, and staying teachable. “Leadership to me is about kindness, respect, and knowing that there is always something to learn,” she says.
Through courage, patience, and a commitment to helping others, Murray has turned adversity into advocacy and continues to inspire others to lead with heart.
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