Taschet Murphy (’16), Excelling Beyond the Bell
Taschet Murphy (RPTM 2016) sums up her career in recreation in one sentence. “In recreation, we do it all.”
In her current role as recreation specialist for Montgomery County, Maryland, her position assignment is oversight of all out-of-school programs. “We aren’t just babysitting,” she laughed. “We offer a wide range of enrichment programs for kids who are often left behind.”
The mission of Montgomery County Recreation’s Youth Development team is to use recreation, sports, and structured activities to support the health of their community and to develop leadership, career skills, and connections to “Excel Beyond the Bell.” They offer programs and activities that may not be available in school as well as opportunities for children and teens to build relationships with adults and with peers they might not normally meet.
Taschet, or Tasch, as she is often called, came to Penn State via Girard College in Philadelphia. As a student at Girard, she was on the Varsity Basketball and Softball teams. Girard College is a boarding school in Philadelphia. Students who attend Girard receive a full scholarship for the experience with the goal of preparation for college. “We were able to apply to up to 8 colleges or universities without having to pay the application fee,” said Tasch. “Penn State was one of the schools I applied to. I liked the focus on sports.”
She initially enrolled at the Altoona Campus, unsure of her major. “I knew I didn’t want to sit in a cubicle all day,” she laughed. “My favorite subject in school was gym.” With help from her mother, she found the Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management major.
“We got so much experience in our classes in RPTM,” she said. “In one class, we worked with LifeLink PSU which was really cool.” LifeLink PSU is a program housed in the State College Area School District, but located on the University Park Campus, that offers a college-like experience for teenagers with special needs.
As a student, Tasch balanced her outstanding academic performance with gaining experience in the field. She worked as an operations assistant at Pegula Ice Arena on the University Park Campus. While at home over breaks from school, she worked at The Liacouras Center, Temple University’s 10,000 seat multi-purpose venue.
It was also during her summers at home that Tasch started dipping her toes in non-profit recreation and community program at the ESF Dream Camp Foundation. The mission of the ESF Dream Camp Foundation is to offer community programs that support historically under-resourced communities with year around programming. Working her way from Leadership Apprentice to Program Coordinator to Associate Director of Alumni Development at ESF, Tasch saw in person how out-of-school programming, camps, and recreation can benefit both the individual and the community.
“I remember thinking, ‘This is recreation,’” said Tasch. As she gained more experience and more responsibilities, Tasch eventually found herself in a management role—hiring staff, managing inventory and supplies, and assisting with meetings. In July of 2016, she was nominated by a peer and awarded the ESF Ichiban award for the “best of the best” staff of the summer. In July 2021, she was awarded the McBride Award by the ESF Dream Camp Foundation for her years of service.
“I really liked having an impact on my community,” she said. “Retention and building connections with our families was the focus. Those connections are what keep the families continuing to benefit from the programs that are offered.”
With experience under her belt, Tasch found herself looking for new opportunities. What else might be out there?
When the position at Montgomery County opened, Tasch decided to make a change including the move to a new state and a new city. She currently oversees after-school programs, special events, summer camps, workforce and professional development programs, and other youth programming. “In municipal recreation, you get to do it all…sports, special events, youth programs” she said. “We jump in wherever we are needed.”
Sports have continued to be a part of Tasch’s life both in her job and in her personal life. “In the move to Maryland, I had to learn new sports,” she said. “Cricket is really big here.” In her out of work time, Tasch plays in softball and flag football leagues and has recently taken up reading as a hobby. “The beach is my happy place,” said Tasch. “I caught the travel bug, too.” She’s visited Jamaica, Mexico, and Bali. “It took me 24 hours on a plane to get to Bali,” she laughed.
Tasch’s advice to people considering their future is to “stay open to different options.” She went on to add, “You think you know what you want to do – professional teams, major league sports. I didn’t know how vast the opportunities were in working in community recreation. Be open to try something new.”