http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=348420
People in the News: Elizabeth Murray
Published On 6/5/2003 12:00:00 AM
By REBECCA D. O’BRIEN
Crimson Staff Writer
Elizabeth Murray was an unlikely member of the class of 2003.
Born to drug-addict parents, Murray spent much of her childhood on the streets of New York, shuffling between friends’ houses and children shelters.
When the AIDS-related death of her mother inspired her to take her education more seriously, Murray entered the Humanities Preparatory Academy, a small high school in Lower Manhattan. While working her way through high school, Murray slept on the subway or on the street, estranged from her family.
At the encouragement of her high school principal, Murray decided to go to college and won a New York Times Scholarship. After a year at an internship at The Times, Murray matriculated at Harvard in the fall of 2000.
She lived in Canaday Hall, but left for a year after a difficult semester. Upon returning to Harvard, Murray lived in Currier House—but she never fully adjusted to Harvard, and left again last winter.
Although friends say that Murray was clearly intelligent, they suggest that she had problems with the new culture and the administration. Murray herself says that she found that the problems of her past—her troubled family life and chaotic childhood—caught up to her and made Harvard difficult for her. She also landed a book deal and filmed an autobiographical movie, Homeless to Harvard, which aired on Lifetime in April.
Since Murray left Harvard, she has been living in New York, where she is editing her book and taking care of her ailing father. She is considering returning to college, and maybe pursuing a career as a documentary filmmaker.
“It wasn’t the right time for me,” Murray says, saying that she had too much on her mind to focus at Harvard. “When I put my head down on my pillow, I want to hear my own voice in my head.”
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zed_self
16 years ago
I saw the very ending of this movie today... and after I saw the little blog at the end about how she left before completing her senior year to work at NY Times... I was like, "WTF!" BUT after reading THIS article above about how she kept leaving periodcally and how she couldn't adjust.... I don't know...
Touching movie nonetheless...
DOES ANYONE KNOW where I can get the credits to the soundtrack? I surely must hear that song "Perfect world" or whatever sang by that female artist.
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regahsof
16 years ago
The movie wasn't about Harvard. The movie was about a homeless girl triumphing over "odds" against her, big or small, which impeded her ability to flourish at her highest level possible.
She was admitted to Harvard and enrolled, which is a significant accomplishment. Although I don't know much about her reasons for leaving other than what I've read in this message, it sounds like Harvard was actually a barrier to her ability to flourish at her highest level possible. I don't want to dwell too much on Harvard itself, but I wonder if they create too much of a mold for their students which may discourage deep and creative thinking on a subject. Witness their recent President being fired or him stepping down over a point that perhaps should have been allowed genuine dialogue, particularly being at one of our nation's most prestigious universities!
In not filling your folks' molds of her graduating from Harvard, she's doing exactly what she committed to do when she first made the decision to be someone when filling out an application to the preparatory high school: reaching for HER very best.
The physical location of Harvard in Boston -- away from New York -- looked to be another factor that hindered her full human flourishing, too.
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loumcp-650-223245
10 years ago
Wonderful post - Liz decided that it wasn't a good fit, as many of us do with different things, and moved on. It doesn't detract from her story at all.
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