Main content

Trisha Murphy ’19

Trisha Murphy ’19 came to Purchase to be a writer, even though she was unsure what that would mean for her job prospects once she graduated.

Murphy enrolled in the Creative Writing program for its workshop environment.

“My creative writing classes taught me how to give and receive criticism, a skill I was able to take with me into post-grad and my first job.”

And she discovered her passion for the Literature program along the way, which helped her become a better writer.

“I wanted so badly to become a better writer, and while I believe that I did, I owe so much of my growth to becoming a better reader. The literature classes I took at Purchase taught me how to read critically, and in doing so, how to analyze my writing in a way I hadn’t before.”

But it was in Assistant Professor Mehdi Okasi ’s Editing and Production class that she discovered a path she continues on today: production.

“I learned about how to begin with nothing, and end with a perfect-bound magazine that gave students the opportunity to see their work in print for the first time,” she explains. “I learned about how literary magazines worked, how publishing houses worked, about book sales, and literary agents, and what my life could be like.”

Currently, she is the Editorial Assistant at The Princeton Review, where she proofreads eBooks, responds to customer inquiries, and supports the Editorial Team.

“I am beyond grateful I had the chance to work on Italics Mine. Editing and Production showed me the life that I could have if I worked hard enough. Professor Okasi not only introduced me to a world were I felt like I belonged, but excelled in.”