Heardley Murdock, University of Central Florida

Heardley Murdock, a senior at the University of Central Florida, has been a leader in the areas of public education, particularly in the STEM fields. As a member of the inaugural group of Burnett Community Scholars /AmeriCorps volunteers, he has dedicated two service terms (600 hours) to mentoring and tutoring middle school students. During this time, he partnered with the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program at Jackson Middle School, interacting with students in several math and science courses and in the after-school program. Through this experience, he founded the Jackson Underserved Math Program (JUMP), an initiative which aims to connect college students with middle school students as tutors and mentors. This program was adopted by the Honors Educational Reach Out program at the Burnett Honors College, and he currently serves as the Civic Intern for JUMP. In this capacity, he has sought partnerships with several on-campus student organizations and the Greek community, as well as with faculty in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. His determination to inspire others to meet community needs through his personal example and through his organization promises to impact the community for years to come.