For Jason Murray, class of 2027, workplace safety became personal before he ever considered making it a career. While walking to a driver’s training class with a friend, he got a call that his stepdad had been badly injured on a job site and needed to be rushed to the hospital. “It was pretty scary,” Murray recalled, “and it just put life into perspective for me.” Fortunately, his stepdad recovered, but the incident stuck with him. “I think about that with my work a lot, and through my studies,” he said. 

Something Clicked

Murray says it felt like “something just clicked” when he joined the Occupational Safety and Health program. He first learned about this program during a conversation with a Grand Valley alum of the OSH program. The alum shared how OSH careers combine many different aspects of science along with communication and interpersonal skills. Then, after a conversation with OSH program chair Dr. Dave Huizen, Murray was sold.

“Essentially the main goal,” Murray shared, describing the types of careers in the field, “is to protect the workers that work at your company – make sure they get home safely at the end of the day. And to make sure they retire without any long-term health effects.” Murray said he was excited to find a field that blends people skills with technical expertise.  

Scholarship Firsts

When he first came to GVSU, Murray admits, "I wasn't a very stellar student.” When he joined the OSH program, however, he found something he loved that motivated positive change. “I’ve really turned around my study habits,” he said. “I just made a complete 180. I’m getting all A’s now.” He then earned his first-ever academic scholarship, which also marks another first: Murray is the inaugural recipient of the Ron E. Averill '89 Occupational Health and Safety Management Memorial Endowed Scholarship. In addition to providing financial support, Murray shared that this award was a big boost in his confidence. "I think it's really taught me that I am capable of anything, and I just need to put my heart into it.” 

The scholarship’s namesake, Averill, spent his career in health and safety management after graduating from GVSU. When he passed away in 2023, his family set up the scholarship in his honor, to be awarded to students pursuing a similar path. Averill was known for being very personable and building strong relationships with his team members. He often walked the plant floors to get to know everyone, asking about people and their families. Murray was able to meet with a few of Averill’s family members and described Averill’s close connection to his coworkers as inspiring. “He's kind of the person that I want to be,” Murray shared, as he looks forward to his career. 

Looking to the Future

Murray has already been able to put this into practice with a summer internship at Kent Power, a company that specializes in line work and installs natural gas services for municipalities and residential areas. There, Murray had the opportunity to work both in the office and out in the field. In the office, on putting together effective safety messaging and trainings, and in the field on documenting hazards and helping to mitigate those hazards. 

Between the internship experience, faculty, and scholarship support, Murray is walking into the next chapter of his life ready to be the best person that he can be. “I'm a lot more confident in knowing that I'm capable of doing whatever I want to do.” 

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