Community Foundation Sees Scholarship Recipient Mya Murphy through to Graduation & Motherhood

By: Steve Hanf

Given the unique circumstances, it would have been pretty easy for Mya Murphy to press pause on her college journey. Instead, the 2022 graduate of First Flight High School (FFHS) has hit the fast forward button on her march to adulthood, thanks in part to funding – and flexibility – from the Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF).

“Trust me,” Mya said with a laugh. “They’ve had to follow me through a lot. So many emails!”

Mya Salch was your typical high school student in the spring of 2022, applying to her dream school, soaking up the recognition of multiple awards during First Flight’s Scholarship Awards Ceremony and then preparing for life at East Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville, NC.

“All I ever really wanted to do was go to ECU, wear those purple scrubs, and get my nursing degree,” said Mya. “I knew it was going to be a lot of money, so I just applied for everything and anything. I was awarded two scholarships from the Outer Banks Community Foundation in 2022 that have followed me ever since.”

The big award from OBCF was The Elizabeth and Wayne Evans Scholarship, a four-year, $20,000 renewable scholarship. The Osborne Scholarship provided additional much-needed aid for the first-generation college student.

Mya’s first year of college was going well and she only needed a few classes to get into the nursing program thanks to having earned her associate degree from College of The Albemarle in the dual enrollment program. Right about the time that she was studying for the big nursing school entrance exam, Mya made a discovery that would alter the course of her life.

She was pregnant.

“I was like, ‘Well, it’s going to be really hard going to nursing school and being all by myself in Greenville without any family,’ so I decided to come back home,” Mya said. “While I was pregnant, I did community college courses to get my last few prerequisites that I needed for some other colleges.”

Following the birth of Addilyn in December, Mya looked into a couple of different nursing programs that didn’t work out, and then she discovered the Accelerated Nursing Program at Averett University in Norfolk, Virginia.

But could she afford it? Mya had a baby in 2023, and a wedding to her long-time boyfriend, Camden Murphy would come in 2024, along with a move to Grandy. Mya reached out to OBCF officials to learn more about the status of her awards.

“Since Averett was an accredited program, the Community Foundation was able to still keep funding me,” said Mya. “It has been amazing that they’ve followed me through this chaotic journey. They were super, super supportive of all my decisions, and they have said so many times how proud they are of me for continuing my education.”

Mya also expressed her thanks for a great support system on both her side and Camden’s side of the family. The 16-month program through Averett includes classes and clinicals – she had an exam on the day of her wedding rehearsal and a 12-hour clinical rotation on the following Monday – but all the work is going to pay off this summer when she receives that bachelor’s degree.

Mya says she’s always wanted to work as a labor and delivery nurse – even before Addilyn entered the picture and she got to experience the job from the patient perspective – and she hopes to land a position with a local healthcare provider.

“I did have to push through a little bit and there have been times that I did miss Camden and Addilyn, but I knew I had to get through it because in the long term our future is more important,” Mya said.

The end result will be the same even though Mya never could have imagined the unique nature of her journey sitting in the David E. Oaksmith Auditorium at FFHS just three years ago as the scholarships were being announced. As members of the Class of 2025 fill out their applications, prep for their interviews, and nervously await the announcements of this year’s winners, it’s fun for Mya to press rewind and think about that night.

“It just felt incredible because, when you go through the process, you have absolutely no idea – you just show up because you got an email that says you will receive at least one award,” Mya recalled. “It was very exciting to see that all my hard work paid off, and to know that I have so many other classmates that are so successful, too. It just felt good, feeling accomplished that night.”

The Outer Banks Community Foundation manages over 70 scholarship programs for Dare, Currituck and Ocracoke students. The deadline for all applications is 11:59pm on Monday, February 24, 2025.

To learn more about the Community Foundation’s scholarships, visit OBCF.org/scholarships.

About the Outer Banks Community Foundation: The Outer Banks Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to fostering philanthropy and supporting local causes. Through its charitable funds and grant programs, the Foundation strives to enrich the quality of life for residents of the Outer Banks.