Chesapeake Grad Heads to UMBC Early for Scholar Program

For some kids, the summer after they graduate high school is spent relaxing and spending quality time with friends.

But not for graduate Austin Murdock. He will head to UMBC to begin work in less than two weeks.

“I start next Saturday and I am there all summer for a program called Summer Bridge; they basically just start getting us ready for school,” Murdock said.

The extra work is something Murdock is used to. He spent his senior year doing computer programing for the Department of Defense (DOD). He worked with them every day Monday through Friday.

Even with all the time he spent with the DOD, Murdock graduated in the top 5 percent of his class, earned a Certificate of Merit, was a member of the National Honor Society, a member of the World and Classical Languages Honor Society and an AP Diploma Recipient.

Murdock also was a captain on the robotics team, a member of the tennis team and played the alto saxophone in band. For all his high school effort, Murdock earned a spot in UMBC Meyerhoff Scholars Program. 

“It is a program that helps people pursue graduate degrees,” Murdock said. “They let you take internships in the summertime and they train you to go do you doctorial work and research.”

Murdock said he plans to pursue his doctorate after he completes his undergraduate degree. He would also like to continue his work with the DOD.

“I want to continue to work for the Department of Defense and support the nation in the cybersecurity field,” he said. “I kind of decided that sophomore or freshman year. I started taking computer science as a freshman, which enabled me to work as a work study my senior year at the Department of Defense.”