Homeless to Harvard

In the 2003 Peter Levin’s [lifetimetv production] inspiring movie Homeless to Harvard, her true account portrayal of Liz Murray landed her the Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Emmy Awards nomination.

In Homeless (recently shown here on Hallmark, Sunday November, 16), she was a struggling daughter of an openly drug addict and alcoholic parents in the backdrop of South Bronx New York. Her mom developed AIDS when she was 10, and as the family ties drifted apart, she became homeless. As she turned 15, she spent most of her time in the streets and hanging out at her friends’ place for occasional laundry and washing her hair.

As if life couldn’t reach anymore bottom, her mom died eventually. This turnaround event led her to put herself together by starting with a summer job. With dad’s inspiration for her education, she was enrolled in a Manhattan high school.

After two years of studying on staircases, working part time washing dishes in restaurant to earn money so that she won't have to go on food stamp, commuting the NYC subways, and living in the street, she managed to cram her four years of high school and graduated on top of her class!

Her intelligence was noticed by one of her teacher, Perry Weiner, who urged her to apply for the New York Times scholarship that would pay her Harvard education. And she won it! The movie ended here.

Liz Murray

[Right: Picture of the real Liz Murray from Convention Connection]

I learn from few follow-up readings of Liz Murray’s stories on the Net that she had left Harvard in order to be close to her HIV-positive father, whom she highly regards as her hero. She is now studying film in Columbia University and according to Elizabeth LeSure of Associated Press Writer,

“She has been taking care of her father, working on a memoir and giving motivational speeches, and plans to continue her college education with film courses over the summer.” Her memoir is due to be published next spring by Hyperion (Linda Lombroso, The Journal News).

I'd recommend this movie to anyone who wishes to inspire his or her students or children on life hardship and struggle to success.

[Mr. Haxa Does The Blogs: Thora Birch: Homeless to Harvard]