Nothing comes easy for Michael Murren. A traumatic brain injury from a car accident made sure of that.
It was a soul-crushing and terrifying journey back from his extensive injuries that left him holed up in a dark room unable to function independently. To this day, he still confuses seemingly simple things like the difference between dogs and babies.
But you won’t find Murren feeling sorry for himself. There is no time for pity parties because he is always struggling. And it will inevitably be a struggle for the rest of his life.
To say the 24-year-old accounting major has come a long way from those dark days is an understatement. He currently has a 4.0 GPA — an amazing feat given that the accident shaved 70 points from his IQ. Murren worked painstakingly to rebuild his brain and has regained almost every point.
To complete his schoolwork, he fights through double vision, migraines, nausea, and light sensitivity. He studies at least five hours each day. Through hard work, he became a member of Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Phi Theta Kappa — all college honor societies.
Since 2023, he has been volunteering at Pizzo K-8, where he helps special needs children with their studies and to stay on task.
This summer, he heads to New York for an internship with Deloitte. All this in spite of the doctors telling him that he would never be able to live independently, let alone go back to college.
He was told his life would be over. While he will never be the same, he has been able to make it his own again.
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