Kate Murphy, a 2023 UNI graduate and Northern Iowan Alumni, is an impressive example of what UNI students can achieve. Murphy was a press intern for Senator Chuck Grassley’s office in Washington, D.C., and also worked as a web producer for the Washington Examiner. Alongside her accomplishments, a love for Iowa sits deep in her heart.
At UNI, Murphy enjoyed her education and created valuable relationships with those around her. Not just friendships, but professional relationships as well. “My best memories are the lifetime professional and friend-relationships I found while I was there.”
Something that Murphy communicated was how she appreciated these relationships, but that she would have attempted to create stronger professional relationships with her mentors before she left. “I felt how much the professors want to help us after we leave, especially during my senior year, and I wished I had utilized my professors more,”
“Chris Martin was so helpful, and I remember wishing I had built a stronger relationship with him,” Murphy said. “I took News Writing and Reporting and that’s when I realized I wanted to write stories.”
Murphy noted how when she came to college, she was undecided on her major. After taking the right classes with the right professors, she knew she wanted to write more. From there, Murphy discovered the NI, where she wrote a handful of popular stories such as “The fall of UNI fraternities and sororities” as well as a feature on Vince Gotera, who was named Poet Laureate in 2024. “I worked for the Northern Iowan for my junior and senior year, and I loved doing it!”
“I think with the Northern Iowan being so small, they really encourage us to create opportunities for ourselves,” Murphy noted. “I think the NI made me more confident in being a journalist, and it taught me that despite the size of the paper, you have the freedom to be creative and tell peoples’ stories”
After graduation, Murphy worked as Grassley’s press intern. She and another intern were by his side providing him with information that was essential to him. “As press interns, we facilitate what kind of press he’s getting,” Murphy said. “We grabbed and highlighted things in all of the newspapers in Iowa that were of importance to him.”
During her time as a press intern, Murphy was able to explore our state’s capital city and government buildings. As a government employee, Murphy had access to all sorts of stuff — the tunnels, any senate or house building. “The stuff you get to see is really cool, and one of the best things I have ever done.”
“I have a lot of appreciation for Iowa, because it’s where I’m from, and Grassley is a small-town farmer as a senator, which I think is a super valuable trait to have, especially in Iowa,” Murphy narrated. “He made it known that we’re the little people that make a difference.”
After spending some time with Grassley, Murphy went to work for the Washington Examiner, in Washington D.C. — where she copy edited and produced web content. Murphy vividly recalls working on election day, saying she was in the office from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. editing and uploading content. Murphy said that she was expecting the streets to be full: either with protesting civilians or celebrations, but that was not the case. Murphy said “It actually was eerily quiet in the streets after the election, restaurants and businesses had boarded up their windows in preparation because people were worried”.
Murphy expressed how she has earned each of her jobs by the job before; being a press intern led to the Washington Examiner, and the Examiner led to her current position at the University of Iowa.
Murphy is now back in the corn state, working with the University of Iowa as the webmaster and event coordinator for the International Programs office. While this was a bit of a culture shock for Murphy, she felt like this was a career step that was prolific to her future. While Murphy expressed that living in Iowa may not be her long term plan, she is enjoying being back around her family and friends. “Just because it’s not linear doesn’t mean it’s not the right move”.
In a whirlwind of a year, Murphy has proved that UNI students have the capacity to work in places like Washington D.C., and even at other state universities. While each of Murphy’s careers came with their own set of challenges, she took them all on head-first. Each one of Murphy’s successes led to where she is now, in a career where she sees potential for growth and advancement.
