to HARVARD Acclaimed motivational speaker Liz Murray spoke at ASI's third annual Educator Appreciation Night about overcoming homelessness. In fall 2019, Liz Murray visited Harding as part of the American Studies Institute (ASI) Distinguished Lecture Series. Murray shared her story in a lecture titled "Homeless to Harvard." Born to drug-addicted parents in the Bronx borough of New York City, Murray had few positive influences as a child. She became homeless when she was 15 years old after her mother died and her father moved to a homeless shelter, leaving Murray to sleep in subway stations. She graduated-high school in two years before attending Harvard University, a journey she credited to education and important mentors during her youth. Murray graduated from Harvard in 2009 and earned a master's degree in psychology from Columbia University. She was co-founder and executive director of The Arthur Project, a mentorship program for at-risk youth named after her childhood neighbor who encouraged her to return to school and helped her to see the world beyond their neighborhood. Murray attributed this relationship as a starting point to her success and believed relationships were important to personal success. "Ultimately, no one can do for you what you need to do for yourself." "Ultimately, no one can do for you what you need to do for yourself," Murray said. "Personal responsibility is the first step; it's necessary, and yet, not sufficient in many ways. We can get a lot of places with just the sense of 'I can do it' and whiteknuckling, but we can never really get as far as we possibly could without others." Murray spoke for Harding's third annual Educator Appreciation Night hosted by ASL Kim Kirkman, executive director ofASI, read Murray's book "Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard" and watched the 2003 Lifetime Television film adaptation. She was inspired by Murray's story and the obstacles she overcame. "I feel like parents help their children along the road to success," Kirkman said. "She did not have that, but she is a success, and she is, in turn, helping people that are falling through the cracks of the system or their poverty cycle. I would say that her story is very inspirational." Senior Olivia Womack, president ofASI, said Murray's message of how education transformed her life was inspirational. "Her message was really powerful and really inspiring, even if we maybe can't relate to homelessness," Womack said. "The hard work and dedication she put into her education was very inspiring," Murray said her success would not have been possible without mentors who encouraged her to succeed. She said if she told her younger self one thing, it would be a simple message that spoke volumes. "You are enough," Murray said. "It's a lesson that I relearn in my life." story by Emily Sundermeier organizations 263
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