Liz Murray

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Liz Murray once said, "There are always those external forces, problems in your life. It's what going on inside your head that counts" (O'Brian). Her inspiring life story proves that how one reacts to their problems is the deciding factor of success or failure. Liz Murray was born on September 23, 1980, into a family who was poor and used drugs. While growing up, Liz and her sister, Lisa, moved from school to school, never settled in one home, and had little food to eat (O'Brian). As a teenager, she was in a horrible situation, but she fought against her environment to graduate high school successfully. She also learned life-changing lessons that benefitted her future. Almost all her memories are hidden around New York, however, as a motivational speaker, she travels around the world hoping to get her message, never give up, across to people going through similar problems she had ("Liz Murray." Contemporary). For someone to be a hero, they should  have characteristic traits of being responsible and determined. Responsibility is the decision to take charge of one's actions and determination means to act upon the decision and not give up no matter how tough the obstacles are. Instead of using her background as an excuse to be a lost cause, Liz Murray's responsibility and determination shows the world that anyone can live in greatness; therefore, she is a hero.

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Liz Murray showed responsibility when she owned up to her actions in order to gain a positive lifestyle. In the database, "I was in every sense a lost cause," Marsha Lederman uses Liz's early life background to show her responsibility in making her own decisions to change her life around. Lederman writes, "It wasn't until she lost her mother to complications from HIV/AIDS that she was jolted out of that lifestyle. 'My mother gave me the gift of clarity. Unfortunately, she died and that's what it took for me to wake up, but I realized my mortality at 16'" (Lederman). After getting hit by reality with her mother's death, Liz Murray decided to take responsibility of what she wanted to do with her life. She never fell down into a pity state for herself. She remained strong by taking control of how she wanted her life to end up. Liz shows responsibility which proves she is a hero because she shakes herself out of the downfall of being homeless and decides to transform into a girl who knows what she wants. Similarly, "Liz Murray," by Authors and Artists for Young Adults, proves that although she started going down a bad path, Liz's instincts told her the right things to do. "After years of neglect and erratic schooling, overlooked by the social services system, Murray finally dropped out of school and became involved with a drug dealer. Remarkably, however, at age seventeen Murray decided to turn her life around. Despite being homeless, she returned to school and did so well she earned a scholarship to Harvard University" ("Liz Murray." Authors). Her trait of responsibility shows she has the ability to change her life around. From doing drugs to attending Harvard, Liz showed who she strived to be in life. Liz earned everything she accomplished in life due to her responsibility, therefore, the hero side of her is proven through the decisions she made. Liz Murray survived the negative path of life which lead her to success because of the heroic trait of responsibility.

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Liz Murray is a hero because her determination proves she did not back down from the opportunities and chances that were given to her, no matter how small they were. Liz Murray's memoir, Breaking Night, describes her journey towards success and school troubles. When she got her transcript from her old school, she wanted a fresh start at the next school.  She explains that, "The JFK ones I handed in to April and never looked at again. The blank ones I kept with me at all times. They were a reminder that I was, day by day, writing my future... My future A's, in my heart, had already occurred. Now I just had to get them" (Murray 263). Liz Murray wanting a clean and fresh start shows determination to be a better version of herself. She knew her background and family situation were unfortunate, yet she was determined to change her future. Liz knew that nothing could change her past. All she could do was take action to make her future better. Liz Murray, like other heroes, shows determination through how their actions in the present shape the future. The Harvard Crimson News explains Murray's journey to Harvard and how many rejections she got during high school. "Although many high schools denied her entrance because she was truant, in 1997 Murray enrolled at the Humanities Preparatory School, a new progressive public school in downtown Manhattan" (O'Brian). Even though she was declined multiple times by different schools, she kept her determination and never gave up on herself. The rejection did not stop her, if anything, it kept her going. No matter what the situation is, a true hero, like Liz, shows determination through anything. "Liz Murray" by Contemporary Authors Online, discusses what Murray ended up pursuing after graduating college. "Murray also founded and still serves as director of New York City-based Manifest Living, an organization that works with adults who want to remove obstacles in their lives and achieve goals" ("Liz Murray." Contemporary).  Achieving something great always brings upon an amazing feeling. Liz Murray decided to share her transformation, from a homeless teenager to a graduate at Harvard, to encourage other people to overcome tough events that are hard to move away from. Heroism is portrayed through this action because she uses her determination to inspire others to follow their dreams. Her determination is displayed through how she encourages other people to have their own willpower. Determination defines heroism because of the dedication one strives for in their work to accomplish their goals.

Liz Murray's responsibility and determination proves her heroism because she suffered many obstacles but she did not take advantage of an opportunity to go down the drain. Instead, each day, she became a better version of herself. Liz used her difficult past of a homeless, drug family to successfully change her life into something great and inspire others along the way. Her responsibility to change her life around and determination to graduate are both characteristics of a hero. "'I've learned in my life that you really don't know what's possible until you're already doing it,' she says, when asked about these accomplishments. 'You blaze the trail. And sometimes that involves doing something that scares the hell out of you'" (Lederman). Liz Murray shows strength because she pushed away her nerves and worries to accomplish things she never thought would happen. She took risks to try and be successful which implies that Liz Murray is brave. She's a hero because a hero is someone who shows strength even if they are scared to death about what can possibly happen. Liz is an inspiration because she spreads a message by saying that no matter how deep of a mess one is in, everything is possible as long as one believes and works hard towards that goal. There comes a time where one has to make a decision to either take the heroic path of life or negative path of life. All it takes is one chance and hope that one will succeed and become a hero. So the next time a thought pops into mind saying to give up because it is impossible, remember Liz Murray and how she went from homeless to a Harvard graduate.

Work Cited

Lederman, Marsha. "'I was in every sense a lost cause'." Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada], 19

Nov. 2010, p. L5. Biography in

Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A242427858/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=91a96c3c.

Accessed 28 Apr. 2017.

"Liz Murray." Authors and Artists for Young Adults, vol. 88, Gale, 2012. Research in Context,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=MSIC&sw=w&u=powa9245&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CK160

002005&it=r&asid=9889236bc538df23bc6a65a4cd2616. Accessed 4 May 2017.

"Liz Murray." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2011. Biography in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000203056/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=39d96d1d.

Accessed 28 Apr. 2017.

Murray, Liz. Breaking Night: a Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from

Homeless to Harvard. New York, Hachette Books, 2015.

O'Brien, Rebecca D. "After Harvard, A New Home | News | The Harvard Crimson." Harvard

News, The Harvard Crimson, Inc., 2003,

www.thecrimson.com/article/2003/4/14/after-harvard-a-new-home-the/?page=1. Accessed 28 Apr. 2017.