Impact Of A Scholarship: Nicole [Muracco] Proctor

Before going off to college, Nicole Proctor’s goal was to get into the University of Maryland’s journalism program and win a national championship while playing for the university’s field hockey team. 

Known by her maiden name, Muracco, she achieved her goal and considerably more. She graduated from Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism in 2010 and currently works as a video editor for the Big Ten Network and Turner Studios. She also won not just one but two national titles as a star forward for Terps field hockey from 2006-09. 

Raised in Sewell, New Jersey, Proctor was the oldest of three girls and grew up around sports. She started playing field hockey at 10 years old, traveling 45 minutes just to play the sport because it wasn’t popular around her.

During her freshman year of high school, she realized she wanted to play field hockey at the next level and began attending USA field hockey camps.

Proctor attended a field hockey camp in Maryland during the summer of her sophomore year. She loved the campus and always had an eye on their dominant field hockey team. Attending the University of Maryland quickly became one of her dreams.

After her junior season, she eventually received a partial scholarship offer from head coach Missy Meharg, which was later upgraded to a full ride. 

“Once she offered me the full tuition scholarship, it was a no-brainer at that point that I was going to go there,” Proctor said. “Even though I was getting full rides from other schools, I just knew that I wanted to get myself to Maryland so I could prove myself.”

Proctor says Meharg saw her talent when others didn’t. She also credits Meharg with helping her throughout her college years and beyond.  

“She believed in me when a lot of people didn’t believe in me,” Proctor said. “She made me tough, that’s for sure. She pushed me in ways I didn't know I could be pushed.”

Once Proctor stepped foot on the field, a star was born. Her fondest memories were winning two national championships in 2006 and 2008 with the Terps. 

“There was nothing better than winning those and coming back onto campus the next couple of days,” Proctor said.

Proctor won many accolades while playing for Maryland field hockey. She was a 2006 and 2009 National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American and made the All-ACC team in the same years. She was also the 2006 ACC Freshman of the Year and was named to the 2009 NCAA All-Tournament Team. 

In addition to her two NCAA championship victories, the Terps were the NCAA runner-up in 2009 and won the ACC tournament championship in 2008-2009. 

She even left her mark in the program’s record books. In 2009, Proctor scored 66 points, ranking sixth in single-season program history. She scored 31 goals the same year, ranking second in single-season program history. In 2008, she scored 25 goals, ranking sixth in single-season program history.

Despite it being over a decade since she last played a game, Proctor has had a lasting impact on the Maryland field hockey program. She ranks third in program history in points (179) and second in goals (85). 

The Philip Merrill College of Journalism contributed to Proctor’s decision to attend Maryland. She liked that College Park’s proximity to Baltimore and D.C. meant she wouldn’t be confined to the resources within the university. She knew she’d be able to learn from news stations in bigger markets outside of campus.

“I wanted to be a sports reporter my whole life. Maryland had a great journalism program,” Proctor said.

In the spring of her senior year, Proctor secured an internship through the Merrill school to work with a Comcast affiliate in the D.C./Baltimore area, where she sat sideline at Capitals and Wizards games. 

After college, Proctor was selected for the ACC Futures Program, which picked student-athletes from each school in communications or marketing to network with companies in their field. At the end of the program, Proctor was chosen to be a paid intern at Fox Sports Atlanta for a year, which led her to gain experience as a TV reporter.

She later moved to Arkansas to be a sports reporter for their CBS affiliate before returning to Atlanta to work with Fox Sports as a production assistant and editor. She then worked as a full-time editor at Turner for NBA TV.

Now, with three young daughters, Proctor works as a remote, part-time video editor for the Big Ten and Turner Sports Network.

Proctor reflects on her time at Maryland with great admiration.

“It's awesome. There are really no words to describe it,” she said. “It was the greatest four years of my life. … I wasn't super highly recruited, and not a lot of people knew about me.”

While Proctor initially received a full tuition scholarship, her performance on the field as a freshman led her to receive a full scholarship, including free room and board, in her junior and senior years. 

“I’m so incredibly thankful to Missy for giving me that and for the donors who donate the money,” Proctor said. “It sets your life up in a spot where you don't have to start from behind.” 

Going into college, Proctor wanted to score and contribute to a winning team, and she did just that. With financial support from the university, she could play her sport at a high level while getting a valuable education that helped her succeed in her career after graduating.