Trey Murray

Trey Murray entered the University of North Georgia (UNG) after a brief stint in corporate America. The experience shaped his leadership skills to one he describes as "trusting until I can't."

"I put somebody in charge of something. I'd give them free rein to do whatever they wanted to do as long as they got it done, didn't break any rules doing it, or it became a problem," the Gray, Georgia, native said. "I don't like to micromanage, because if I micromanage, I've already got enough on my plate already, so why would I try and steal off of somebody else's plate?"

Besides focusing on pursuing a degree in history with a certification in secondary education, Murray devotes time to Phi Delta Theta, a Greek organization, at the Dahlonega Campus. He leads as the philanthropy chairman and its community service chairman.

"Our philanthropy is Live Like Lou, and supports ALS, because one of our fraternity alumni is Lou Gehrig," Murray shared.

Murray, who expects to graduate in May 2025, defines leadership as a role in which an environment is created where people feel comfortable and can grow within their profession.

"They need to be able to grow, but you want them to know that you care about what they're doing as well as you're caring about their well-being," Murray explained. "I want them to be able to get just as much out of this as I am, because at the end of the day, they're the ones doing the work. I just want people to feel like they matter."

Connecting with others is something Murray believes is underrated about leadership.

"The connections you make and the relationships you build as a leader are really kind of bar none compared to anything else because they will last a lifetime," he said.