Liz Murray

Liz Murray is now a motavational speaker. (www.myhero.com)

A characteristic of a leader is not determined by thinking about how they feel they can change something, but by taking action of that thought and making it a reality.

Leaders are thought of to have respect, intelligence, and a strong-willed thinking about what they believe in. Well, at least the leaders who are willing to make a positive impact on the world. The hero that I have chosen is what I consider to have all the characteristics of a leader. Not only that, but she had to become a leader in the toughest times that it is to be one.

Liz Murray was born in a dirty, rat-infested apartment in the Bronx, which is in New York. As a child, she had parents that were poor, drug –addicted, and they had HIV. When her mother died of HIV, it was Murray’s priority to keep her sister and herself fed each day, since her father retreated in a homeless shelter. As a child, she bagged groceries for money and at the age of 16 she was sometimes sleeping on park benches. It all changed one day when she finally came to the conclusion that her time was limited, and that she was going to not waste a minute of wasting anymore of her time. She didn’t go to a normal high school, but the special school that she did enroll in allowed her to complete high-school in 2 years, thanks to doubled courses. Through a scholarship from The New York Times, she was admitted to one of the most prestigious schools in the country, Harvard University.

Ms. Murray can be considered a hero because not only did she fight homelessness, having no parents, and no food, but she also fought without having someone guide her in her life. Because she was the one who had to take charge of her own life, I say that she has the characteristic of being responsible and self-reliant. Liz is also intelligent because in order to think through the process of getting to Harvard, she had to prioritize and figure out in life what to do. She may also be considered intelligent in general because in order to be accepted into Harvard, you have to really light a fire under your butt! But, the biggest reason that I consider her a hero is because she did not let other people’s failures or addictions get into her way of becoming a Harvard student.

As inspired as I already am, Liz Murray has inspired me to work harder in school and know that anything is possible if you believe. She has made an impact on my life and maybe other lives by her courage, strong-willed mind, and good sense of morals. Through the tough times where she was a kid, whereas now she is currently in Harvard, Liz has showed that motivation is the key is you want to go places in life. Because of this strong-drive, a Lifetime® Movie was based on the life of Murray, called Homeless to Harvard.

(www.springisd.org)

Liz Murray is now currently living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, having returned to Harvard where she will graduate in June 2009. She was born in the 1980’s and is 29 going on 30. Even though the past is behind her, still talks at motivation meetings about her life and how she overcame the obstacles. She, in my mind, has all the characteristics that a leader should have. Now that Liz Murray has inspired me, maybe she has inspired you.