Liz Murray Inspires Members With Personal Keynote Address
Wednesday, July 11, 2018 | Author: Natalie Boyd, Trinity FFA
Emotions soared throughout the first general session of the 90th Texas FFA Convention as more than 13,000 members and guests listened to the powerful story of keynote speaker Liz Murray.
Murray provided testimony of her journey from homeless to Harvard. She delivered a motivational message that was centered around her personal life story which focused on hard work and following your dreams.
Raised in The Bronx, Murray grew up in a household with parents who were victims of drug addiction and was continually forced to overcome obstacles throughout her youth.
“If I didn’t like the way things were, I knew they didn’t have to stay that way,” Murry said.
After losing her mother at the age of 15, she found herself homeless, but also found herself learning one of life's most important lessons.
“It’s better to stop counting what you don’t have, and start counting what you do have,” Murray said.
Even though Murray found herself at a disadvantage because of her economic status, she chose to use her obstacles as a drive for her to follow her dreams by going back to school.
After completing high school in two years while still homeless, she was accepted into Harvard University, and is now working towards her master’s degree in Psychology at Columbia University.
Murray left the audience with a thought provoking statement, “You have two choices. You can do something, or you can do nothing.”
Reporter: Natalie Boyd, Trinity FFA
Photographer: Madalynn Bendele, Florence FFA
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