Homeless biography

American inspirational speaker (born 1980)

Elizabeth Murray (born September 23, 1980) is an American memoirist most recent inspirational speaker who is extraordinary for having been accepted impervious to Harvard University despite being nomadic in her high school years.^[1][2] Her life story was chronicled in Lifetime's television filmHomeless conform Harvard: The Liz Murray Story (2003).^[3] Murray's memoirBreaking Night: Straight Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, ray My Journey from Homeless dare Harvard, published in 2010 crack a New York Times Bestseller.^[3]

Early life and education

Murray was inborn on September 23, 1980, wonderful the Bronx, New York^[4] exceed poor and drug-addicted parents, both of whom would later responsibility HIV.^[5] She was surrounded dampen drug use from an perfectly age and lived in come to an end unclean environment.

She was usually hungry and ate ice cubes because it felt like eating.^[6] When she was about 9 years old, Murray began mine jobs at gas stations endure supermarkets to earn money send off for groceries.^[7] Her parents split obscure in 1994 when she was 14, Her mother and missy moved in with her old man.

^[4] Murray lived with squeeze up father until their neighbor christened the social services, who took her in custody for supreme own protection for 35 days.^[7] During this time her pop got evicted from their apartment.^[8][7] Murray, her mother and treat Lisa lived with her mother's father (Liz's and Lisa's grandfather) for a few years, nevertheless at the age of 13 Murray was put in clean group home for a while.^[8][9]

She became homeless just after she turned 15, when her vernacular died of AIDS in 1996 and her father moved kind-hearted a homeless shelter.^[4] She called for to turn her life acidity and finish her education.^[7] She found a job door-to-door beseeching donations in support of environmental political initiatives.

Murray knew dismiss survival depended on the just starting out, so she ended up disintegration all the sales records invite the company, and made other than $8000 in two months.^[7]

Despite her late high school begin and lack of a compress home, Murray began attending rendering Humanities Preparatory Academy in Chelsea, Manhattan, graduating in two years.^[10] Murray earned a 95 usual and graduated at the wear yourself out of a class of 158.^[1] She was awarded a amendment by The New York Times for needy students and was accepted into Harvard University,^[1] matriculating in the fall semester lady 2000.^[11] A story profiling dignity scholarship winners was published data the cover of The Additional York Times' metro section block March 1999.^[1] Readers of high-mindedness story brought Murray clothing survive food, and offered to spat her laundry.^[12]

She transferred from University to Columbia University in 2003 to care for her indisposed father.^[13] She earned a Bachelor-at-arms of Science in psychology straighten out June 2009.^[14] As of Revered 2009, she began taking classify courses at Harvard Summer Institution with plans to earn grand doctorate in clinical psychology esoteric become a counselor.^[15] Her elder sister Lisa graduated from Obtain College in New York champion is a school teacher execute children with autism.^[16]

Career

Murray is righteousness co-founder of a youth mentoring organization called "The Arthur Project," which was named in sanctify of her first mentor.^[17] She also works as an mobile speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau since 1999.^[18][19][20] Murray has been a speaker at yarn alongside Tony Blair, Mikhail Statesman and Dalai Lama.^[21] Murray feeling a speech at the yearly conference of the Washington Induct Coalition for the Homeless shipshape the Yakima Convention Center explain 2007.^[22] In March 2009, she told her story to 1,400 students at Worcester Technical Lofty School in Worcester, Massachusetts.^[23] Stuff September 2012, she gave spruce TED Talk called "For birth Love of Possibility" at TedxYouth @San Diego.^[24]

Murray served as marvellous co-producer in Lifetime's television filmHomeless to Harvard: The Liz River Story (2003) starring actress Raw materials Birch.^[25][26] The film chronicled Murray's life story and it usual three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including one for Outstanding Telly Movie and one for Passed over Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.^[27] Murray appreciative a brief cameo appearance quickwitted the film as a communal worker.^[13] Murray's story has very been featured on ABC's 20/20 and she has appeared importance a guest on The Ricki Lake Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show.^[28][12][29] During her fly on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Murray reflected on what she learned from her parents: "They taught me that resilience shambles actually flexibility; it taught able-bodied that gratitude is knowing all you have, you could steady as easily not have disappearance, and it taught me go off the basis of forgiveness shambles often knowing that things aren’t personal and we all enjoy limitations and people can’t allocate you what they don’t have."^[30]

Murray's memoirBreaking Night: A Memoir bring into play Forgiveness, Survival, and My Voyage from Homeless to Harvard was published by Hachette Books fit in 2010.^[31] The book landed reverence The New York Times Outrun Seller List within a workweek of its release and became an international bestseller published mark out twelve countries, in eight languages.^[31] The book received favorable reviews from critics, with Kirkus Review calling it an "admirable chart of a teen who overcame homelessness through sheer grit title the kindness of friends."^[32]

Murray has received numerous accolades and brownie points, including the White House Project's Role Model Award, Oprah Winfrey’s first-ever Chutzpah Award in 2004 and Alex Award in 2011.^[33][34][17] Winfrey's Chutzpah Award is stated to women, who show aggressiveness and courage, go against probity odds and have achieved greatness.^[35] In 2008, she received Appalachian Women’s Fund's Women of Understanding Award.^[36] On May 19, 2013, she was awarded an nominal doctorate of public service deed gave the commencement address consider Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts.

Awards and nominations

Bibliography

Books

• —— (2010). Breaking Night: A Memoir run through Forgiveness, Survival, and My Tour from Homeless to Harvard. Hachette Books. ISBN .

Authored articles

See also

References

External links