Meet the New AHA Staff Member: Courtney Murray
Please welcome the American Humanist Association’s new member services assistant, Courtney Murray!
TheHumanist.com: What is your educational and work background?
I graduated from Howard University with a degree in broadcast journalism in 2011. I worked in education at a charter school and at a non-profit. Additionally, I worked in the corporate office for the DARCARS automotive group, as well as at a commercial real estate firm.
TheHumanist.com: How did you first learn about humanism?
I learned about humanism through the interview process at the American Humanist Association and even more through the onboarding process. Additionally, my day-to-day work at the AHA has informed me further about humanism.
TheHumanist.com: Did you grow up in a traditional religious faith? How did it impact you?
I attended a Christian school from nursery school through the eighth grade. I remain a Christian to this day, however, I have been informed of many religious denominations and nonreligious beliefs. Individuals should be free to choose when it comes to beliefs.
TheHumanist.com: What interested you most about working for the American Humanist Association?
The AHA holds beliefs for individuals to live informed, meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good. With my background in journalism I respond greatly to an informed perspective on everyday life circumstances.
TheHumanist.com: What book has influenced you the most?
The most influential book I’ve read is Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton. The Facebook and Instagram components of the project pique my interests even further! Humans of New York allows Stanton to get inside his interviewee’s world. The worldviews expressed in the book are far-reaching and eye-opening to vast points of view and lifetsyles.
TheHumanist.com: If you could have dinner with any three people in the world (living or dead), who would they be and why?
My father passed when I was two. I would love to dine with him and see what character traits of his I display. I would also invite Oprah. In reference once again to my background in journalism, she is such a titan in the field; her viewpoints enlighten me. The third guest would be Aaliyah (the American singer, actress, and model who died in a plane crash at the age of twenty-two in 2001). I am to this day deeply impacted by her music, and I would love to exchange beauty secrets with her.