Students can learn courage & generosity from Nance Murdoch
From fighting for her life to being a grandmother to six, Nance Murdock has done it all.
At the age of 19, Murdock was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“It was bad because I had to go to chemo and radiation,” Murdock said.
Nance Murdock at the sandwich station of Taher food service at Minnehaha Academy upper school. Photo by Cana Schimelpfenig.
Murdock was in and out of the hospital for two years. She was 21 when she was declared cancer-free. Little did Murdock know that she would later be diagnosed with uterine cancer nearly 20 years later, and she would begin that battle again for two years.
“Just going through that and knowing that you can live and that life is beautiful, like today, it might be cold outside, but I look at different things like the birds flying.”
The doctors told her that to be cancer-free, she had to get a hysterectomy.
“That was 2008. I’ve been cancer-free since then,” Murdock said.
Making connections
People at Minnehaha Academy know her as someone who makes sandwiches and quesadillas. She loves connecting with various students every day.
“She has a great personality. Always brightens students’ day when she’s talking to them in the lunch line. I look forward to my conversations with her whenever I get my food there; it definitely just brightens up my day,” MA senior Levi Reed said when asked about Murdock.
But there is more to her than just the smiling face we see every day. Murdock is not only a two-time cancer survivor but also a college graduate who lives to make people smile.
Early years
Nance Murdock was born outside of Philadelphia; her father was a dean at the University of Maryland’s Baltimore medical and dental school. Her parents got divorced when Murdock was only in middle school, but despite the event, she still found joy.
“I had a wonderful childhood,” Murdock said, “I had one brother. He died of ALS about five years ago.”
After her parents’ divorce, Murdock moved to Minnesota to grow up with her extended family.
During her schooling, Murdock lettered in track and field, running the 400-yard dash; she ran a 56.2 when she was only 12 years of age. Along with track and field, Murdcock also participated in basketball.
“I played JV one year, and then I went on to varsity. So in the ninth grade, I was on varsity,” Murdock said. By the time Murdock was done with high school, she graduated with seven varsity letters.
Murdock attended many schools within the Twin Cities, graduating from Roosevelt High School in South Minneapolis, but first attended Central High School and Minneapolis Washburn.
Another setback
After graduating from High School, Murdock wanted to attend the University of Miami, but her father had other plans.
“He didn’t want to send me to Miami. He said, ‘I’m not paying for that.’ So I said, ‘Fine, I’m not going to school.’ So I didn’t go to school for two years.”
During those years out of school, Murdock, who was at the time battling her cancer journey, worked at AT&T as well as Twin City Federal Bank. After those few years working locally and fighting to stay alive, Murdock knew she wanted more from her life and finally caved in to her father’s wishes.
“I knew I wanted to work, and that I had to have a degree, because education is what’s happening. That’s one thing no one can take away from you, your education,” Murdock said.
Murdock attended the University of Maryland, majoring in English.
“I like word formations and English structure and all that. But always had an inkling for medicine,” Murdock said.
After graduating from Maryland, Murdock decided to move back to Minnesota and pursue her nursing degree at St. Catherine University, located in Saint Paul.
After graduation, Nance did an internship in oncology, specifically working with cancer patients.
“I could just relate to the patients,” Murdock said.
Murdock then became a nurse and focused on women’s health and high-risk pregnancy as an OB-GYN (Obstetrics and Gynecology) Nurse.
“I worked at Woodwinds Hospital, and then went into a private practice with a physician at Woodwinds,” Murdock said, “I then worked at Park Nicollet Jane Brattain Breast Center.”
Arriving at M.A.
Murdock worked in the medical field for nearly 15 years and counting, but two years ago, that all came to a halt.
“My mother got sick. She died two years ago. I stopped working to take care of her,” Murdock said. “I don’t want to work anymore in the clinic setting, I don’t want to work a full-time position.”
Today, Murdock is on call at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, providing IV’s as well as providing phlebotomy.
Along with her small position in health care, Murdock works for a staffing agency, which is how she ended up in her job at Minnehaha Academy.
“I have been here (At Minnehaha) since last May. I was here last school year for about three weeks,” Murdock said.
Murdock works as a sous chef while preparing sandwiches for many students during MA’s various lunch times.
She takes individual requests from each student and works hard to please them. Alongside prepping for the bustle of the lunch crowd, she enjoys talking and interacting with MA’s students.
“I just like to tease them,” Murdock said, “I’m an athlete, so I like to talk to the athletes and ask when their games are. And the theater folks, I was in a children’s theater for years at the Guthrie.”
According to Murdock’s life colleagues, she is a great coworker.
“Nance is amazing,” said Taher colleague Mike Cain. “She’s very outspoken, very direct, very genuine. I enjoy working with her daily.”
Throughout her life, Murdock has learned to value life and how to make every second matter.
“I love interacting with people and different personalities and all that,” Murdock said, “Life is grand. Being a cancer survivor, I just cherish life, people, kindness, and humanity. Little things. The little things, like the sun coming out and the sun shining, I get giddy.”
She believes life is grand and that is a direct outcome of the hurt and pain she has been through.
“Tough times never last,” Murdock said, “but tough people do.”