HOMELESS TO HARVARDThe Liz Murray Story

INTRO BY TYLER BERGENER

Elizabeth Murray was born in Bronx, New York on September 26,1980

She was born to a poor, drug addicted family She overcame many strengths in her life Graduated from Harvard Became a motivational speaker and is

helping others.

HISTORY Liz’s family had many issues, aside from

being drug addicted, her mother was mentally ill, and both parents had AIDS.

Liz rarely had the care she needed, and none of her basic needs were met.

Liz struggled to take care of herself while constantly worrying about her parents well being as well.

EDUCATION Though Liz rarely

attended school through out elementary and high school she was able to start high school late, and still finish in just two years time. She was then accepted to harvard.

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER Liz returned home and

had to pause her education at Harvard to take care of her dying father, her mother had passed away during her high school education, both due to AIDS. After graduating Harvard in 2009 she became a motivational speaker helping to inspire others to over come obstacles and succeed.

KARISHA’S RELATION I struggled with

addiction for almost two years of my life.

I struggled to recover for about two years of my life.

I am now striving to be all that I can be after overcoming and continuing to overcome the obstacles in my life. I am a proud single mother working hard not only to provide my daughter with what she needs to have a healthy happy life, but to help others overcome struggles and trials themselves.

PURPOSE Her story has recently

become popular to college students as an inspiration to keep working, studying, and striving for our educational goals.

Liz Murray had a purpose in life and there is a purpose in her story; to show the world we can overcome our own limitations and obstacles in life to do what we want, be where we want, and be who we want to be.

“What changes a life? One empowered choice after another over time. I knew I had a choice.” – Liz Murray

This reminded hundreds that we all have a choice, and we can all choose to be and do better for ourselves.

Murray now travels the United States as an inspirational speaker.

Her presentations have helped motivate many adults to achieve their own goals in life.

PURPOSE CONTINUED…

SARAH KRISTINE O’RARDEN’SINDIVIDUAL RELATION

My Aunt died June 2009 of an overdose after spending SEVERAL years in rehabilitation.

My closest sister has been in rehab on two different occasions.

After our aunt’s death she became pregnant and snapped back into the reality of life.

She has been clean since the first month of her pregnancy. Now Adam is healthy and 6 months old.

Oh.. And he as adorable as ever!! Drugs are a slippery slope and will

affect the rest of your life….. You will either die addicted or fight the rest of your life to stay clean.

My sister and I when we were very young!

Baby Adam and I when he was 2 weeks!

LIZ MURRAY

Argument

DISAGREE… Liz had a mother named Jean, that

would rather do drugs than take care of her children by simply feeding them and all other necessary things that are mandatory for children. Not only does her mother do drugs, but she is suffering from schizophrenia. She is clearly stressing her daughter out for one, making her worry about a roof over her head as well as where they will get their next meal.

Liz’s father Peter, is stuck in his own drug world not focused on his families lives. With all these factors and I’m sure plenty more personal issues in her life, it is quite difficult for her to operate outside of her home, because of all the things that go on in her daily life. If she were able to have had a support system throughout her childhood and period of adolescence her life struggles may have been a little less stressful.

Liz had a very hard time with her schooling, as early on as elementary school. She claims to have always been the smelly kid in her class, which in my opinion is a result from her parents lack of involvement in their daughters upbringing. With all her absences she was ripped from her home, and thrown into a group home at the age of 15. This was a traumatic experience for Liz. Liz finally gets her head together and decides she will be going back to school, where she bonded with one of her teachers, who believes deeply in Liz’s drive and intelligence.

With these wise decisions, Liz was able to be enrolled in Harvard, and make her story known worldwide which has been a huge inspiration to people all over the World, and in return has given them hope that no matter what the trials and tribulations they are faced with, they will be able to overcome, with faith.

KIARA POLEE’S PERSONAL RELATION Although I can’t say I was able to attend Harvard University, I can say that I am

attending college as Liz did. Making it to college was not only very difficult, but continues to test everything I have to keep my focus and drive intact. I can’t say that I made it down such a long road on my own, but as Liz it was done with some limited recourses. My parents have always supported my intelligence, and been a huge encouragement to my education. They instilled the right thoughts and morals into my mind and heart. However, they were not there throughout all the important stages in my life to push me, and guide me to success. I lived in a group home at the age of 15 and another when I was 17. This was a very distracting time in my life when it came to my educational view. I was not able to focus completely on my education, because so many different factors were playing in my life at that one point in time. I missed about 3 terms of my senior year, but was still able to enroll back into high school, and graduate on time with my class of 2010. There is no excuse in my eyes to ever fully give up on an education, unless you really just don’t want it for yourself. The day I enrolled into college and started Fall semester of 2010, I was immediately inspired, and felt like I was getting a step toward my dreams in life. The sky has seemed to be the limit ever since. I feel like once Liz did some growing up and was able to realize how important obtaining an education would be, she grasped it full heartedly, and benefitted from it. I’ve watched the film “Homeless to Harvard” in the past, when I was a little younger. However, now that I’ve watched it and did some research, I was able to wrap my head around how big of a deal her accomplishment really is.

SHE IS AN INSPIRATION TO YOUNG AND EVEN OLD PEOPLE ALL OVER THE US. I SEE HER STRENGTH, AND

ADMIRE HER DRIVE. IT’S GOOD TO SEE A YOUNG PERSON, WHO HAS FELT AS THOUGH THEY WERE HOLDING

THE WORLD ON THEIR SHOULDERS, AND ALL ALONE, MAKE IT THROUGH AND MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR

ONESELF. SOMETIMES ALL IT TAKES IS SOMEONE LIKE LIZ TO SET A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE AND BE A LEADER,

GOING AGAINST, AND DEFEATING ALL THE ODDS. SOMETIMES IT FEELS AS THOUGH THERE WILL BE NO WAY TO

MOVE FORWARD, BECAUSE LIFE THROWS ITS BOULDERS, BUT HEARING THE STORY OF A YOUNG WOMAN WHO

MADE IT TO A VERY PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITY IS MOTIVATION THAT NOTHING CAN HOLD ME BACK. I HAVE

CONFIDENCE THAT I CAN OVERCOME ANYTHING, AND I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT GOD WOULD NEVER PUT

ANYTHING ON OUR PLATE THAT HE KNOWS WE CAN’T OVERCOME. I’M NOT SAYING THAT SHE DESERVES THE

THINGS SHE WENT THROUGH, BUT IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT SHE HAS GROWN FROM IT, LIKE MANY. SHE WENT

THROUGH SO MANY TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, FACING PAIN THAT NO CHILD SHOULD EVER HAVE TO

ENDURE. SOMETIMES, WE FEEL LIKE WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH, IS ABSOLUTELY THE WORST THING, AND

WE CAN’T FIGURE OUT WHY. IN THE END I THINK WE DO ALWAYS GET A RESPONSE. MY RESPONSES HAVE NOT

ALWAYS BEEN IDEAL AND WHAT I WANTED TO HAPPEN; HOWEVER IT IS WHAT’S BEST FOR US IN THE LONG RUN.

I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT ALL OF THE HARDSHIPS I HAVE FACED THROUGHOUT MY LIFE ARE NO MORE OR LESS

SERIOUS THAN THE NEXT PERSONS’. IN MY OWN MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK SO, BUT WE ALL FACE VERY

SPECIFIC AND DIFFERENT THINGS THROUGHOUT LIFE, WHICH SHAPES US INTO VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL

INDIVIDUALS. WE CAN’T GO BACK AND CHANGE OUR PASTS, BUT WE CAN LEARN FROM THEM, AND MOVE

FORWARD. I HAVE NO REGRETS AND WOULD NEVER CHANGE THE THINGS THAT I’VE GONE THROUGH, BECAUSE

THEY ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVE MOLDED ME INTO THE YOUNG WOMAN I AM TODAY, AND I’M NOT TURNING

BACK.