Bakersfield College women’s basketball player Aerin Murphy has only been attending BC for two semesters, but has already begun to set and pursue lofty goals both on and off the court.

The 19-year-old freshman began playing basketball in her junior year at Frontier High School and says she originally took an interest in the game because she enjoys the competition and being part of a team. “I like pushing myself to my limit and getting out of my comfort zone… it was difficult [when I first started] but it’s worth it,” said Murphy.

While playing at Frontier, Murphy suffered a severe injury to her right knee, which she feared would force her to take the season off.

“I thought I wasn’t going to be able to play,” said Murphy, “but I ended up recovering faster than I was supposed to, and I actually got to play and wound up winning an MVP award that year.”

Murphy, who majors in biology and plans to pursue a career as a maxillofacial surgeon, touts keeping a positive attitude as her secret to success both on and off the court.

That positive attitude has contributed to the Renegade women’s basketball team holding a 3-1 record in the current season.

“We lost our first game to Cerritos, but we beat every other team after that. I think we’re going to be good this year,” said Murphy.

After finishing at BC, Murphy hopes to transfer to a CSU or UC in the Bay area.