Homeless to Harvard Story Inspires Worcester Tech
March 19, 2010
By Ron Sanders WBZ REPORTER
WORCESTER (WBZ)― Liz Murray, who was born in the Bronx, went from homeless to Harvard and inspired a movie by the same name, gave an inspirational talk to 1,400 high school students in Worcester on Thursday. Ron Sanders, who was there, says some of the students identify with Murray's story and hope to follow her example of turning hard luck into hard work and success.
"It was a horrific situation," Murray told the students as she began the narrative that captivated her audience in almost perfect silence for the better part of two hours.
The spotlight in the darkness of Worcester's Hanover Theatre was a far cry from the dim light of the Bronx apartment where Liz Murray grew up with heroin-addicted, HIV-infected parents. She became homeless at 15 when her mother died of AIDS and her father moved to a shelter. She started high school at 17, was inspired by her mentor, finished in two years and was admitted Harvard.
Her father died of AIDS in 2006...after he left her a card which she recalled for the students, "and he said Lizzy, I left my dreams behind a long time ago but I know they're safe with you now."
"It's my dream to have my own family some day," Murray later told Ron backstage.
"I've seen drugs in my family. I've seen prostitution. I've lived around it every day. I've seen transactions of drugs...every day outside my house," said Worcester Technical High School senior Raul Roman.
"The reason I'm standing here in front of you today is because I chose the higher road. I chose the higher road which is available to each of us," said Murray during the crescendo of her remarks.
"It inspires me to keep on moving forward," said Roman.
The students from Worcester Technical High School were taken to the theatre by their principal, Sheila Harrity who wanted them to have a "pep talk" two weeks before MCAS exams. Harrity, who was a Big East basketball champion from Providence College, said she and her teammates never stepped onto the court without a pep talk. Her students had screened the Lifetime movie, "Homeless to Harvard" in weeks prior to Murray's visit. "What's your dream for these students?" Ron asked Harrity. "Whatever their dream is," she said.
"Anybody's story is a human story and anybody can identify with moments where we wanted to give up. We get cynical and think, 'is life ever going to be any different?' and I'm going to stand for, 'yes it can be,'" Murray told Ron.
"I think it was very amazing and she really touched my heart," said Worcester Tech senior Samantha Gonzalez.
"June 4 of this year, I'll graduate from Harvard in psychology," Murray sighed to the theatre packed with students, emotion and applause.
Another inspirational note, an anonymous donor paid the thousands of dollars it cost to bring Liz Murray to Worcester and bus Worcester Tech's 1,400 students to the Hanover Theatre to hear her speak.
To see the video clip go to: http://wbztv.com/local/worcester/homeless.to.harvard.2.963417.html
WORCESTER (WBZ)― Liz Murray, who was born in the Bronx, went from homeless to Harvard and inspired a movie by the same name, gave an inspirational talk to 1,400 high school students in Worcester on Thursday. Ron Sanders, who was there, says some of the students identify with Murray's story and hope to follow her example of turning hard luck into hard work and success.
"It was a horrific situation," Murray told the students as she began the narrative that captivated her audience in almost perfect silence for the better part of two hours.
The spotlight in the darkness of Worcester's Hanover Theatre was a far cry from the dim light of the Bronx apartment where Liz Murray grew up with heroin-addicted, HIV-infected parents. She became homeless at 15 when her mother died of AIDS and her father moved to a shelter. She started high school at 17, was inspired by her mentor, finished in two years and was admitted Harvard.
Her father died of AIDS in 2006...after he left her a card which she recalled for the students, "and he said Lizzy, I left my dreams behind a long time ago but I know they're safe with you now."
"It's my dream to have my own family some day," Murray later told Ron backstage.
"I've seen drugs in my family. I've seen prostitution. I've lived around it every day. I've seen transactions of drugs...every day outside my house," said Worcester Technical High School senior Raul Roman.
"The reason I'm standing here in front of you today is because I chose the higher road. I chose the higher road which is available to each of us," said Murray during the crescendo of her remarks.
"It inspires me to keep on moving forward," said Roman.
The students from Worcester Technical High School were taken to the theatre by their principal, Sheila Harrity who wanted them to have a "pep talk" two weeks before MCAS exams. Harrity, who was a Big East basketball champion from Providence College, said she and her teammates never stepped onto the court without a pep talk. Her students had screened the Lifetime movie, "Homeless to Harvard" in weeks prior to Murray's visit. "What's your dream for these students?" Ron asked Harrity. "Whatever their dream is," she said.
"Anybody's story is a human story and anybody can identify with moments where we wanted to give up. We get cynical and think, 'is life ever going to be any different?' and I'm going to stand for, 'yes it can be,'" Murray told Ron.
"I think it was very amazing and she really touched my heart," said Worcester Tech senior Samantha Gonzalez.
"June 4 of this year, I'll graduate from Harvard in psychology," Murray sighed to the theatre packed with students, emotion and applause.
Another inspirational note, an anonymous donor paid the thousands of dollars it cost to bring Liz Murray to Worcester and bus Worcester Tech's 1,400 students to the Hanover Theatre to hear her speak.
To see the video clip go to: http://wbztv.com/local/worcester/homeless.to.harvard.2.963417.html
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