ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â today announced that the 2018 Winter Commencement keynote speaker will be Erin Murphy. Alumna, former gubernatorial candidate and former Majority Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives Murphy will address the graduates on Thursday, December 20 in the O’Shaughnessy auditorium. The ceremony begins at 7:30 p.m after the liturgy and hooding ceremony in Our Lady of Victory Chapel.
ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â Erin Murphy
Murphy was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2006, and served the 64A district until leaving office in 2015. During her last two years in office, she served as the Democratic majority leader.
In 2016, Murphy announced her candidacy for the 2018 Minnesota gubernatorial race, running on a platform of statewide single-payer healthcare, lessening the educational achievement gap and reducing racial disparities in Minnesota. She was defeated during the primaries by governor-elect Tim Walz.
Before serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives, Murphy worked as legislative director for former Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III, worked as an operating room nurse and served on the board of trustees for the American Nurses Association political action committee.
Murphy holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh and a Master of Art in Organizational Leadership from St. Kate’s.