Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

About a week ago, I was watching Lifetime Network on TV, and I came across this movie where it sorta fascinated me. It was based on a true event (I love movies that are real life but are portrayed into a movie). The name of this movie tells it all. Homeless to Harvard.

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This “story” is about a girl, named Liz Murray, whose lived with both alcoholic and druggie parents ever since she was little. Her own parents couldn’t take care of the house, their 2 daughters, and hell, they couldn’t even take care of themselves.

After she turned about 8, she was taken into custody and now taken care of by the Government because her parents were being sent to somewhere else to get rid of their addictive & bad habits. Also, because she was missing out school every single day. Although one day when she went back to school, her teacher handed her a test and she scored a 100% on it. It shocked her teacher because she never came to school in order to get educated, but this one day, she scored a PERFECT, thanks to her neighbor’s encyclopedia she’s been studying with. (A Matilda moment, lol)

While their parents are out of the picture for a while, her sister moves in with her grandpa, which he never did like Liz. When Liz turned 15, she was homeless. She had to live on her own. Find food, earn money, find a shelter or a place to sleep during the night, etc. She was enrolled back into school but she just kept not showing up the next few days, all because she was the one taking care of her mom her whole life when it should’ve been the other way around.

Unfortunately, because she missed out on school too much, she was kicked out of the school. But a miracle has happened to her and she enrolled to this it’s-like-a-private-school-but-it’s-actually-a-public-school. A more better school, more opportunity. All she wanted was a chance, and this was the only chance she was going to get. Though school was never her thing, she made it through all class sessions in this school. Her father helped her get into this school too by using a false address (the place they used to live in when she was 8). She did not want her teacher to know she was homeless as well.

Then she receives this opportunity to go to Harvard, all expenses paid by the school because she was very intelligent and made a lot of improvements. It’s quite unbelievable with all the things she has been through. She didn’t even have enough money to get into Harvard, but she applied for this one particular scholarship that made her write her life story in pages and pages.

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This movie is such an inspiring, moving, heartbreaking, and motivating movie. It seems as if I spoiled the movie for you, but hey, the title says it all! x) I can’t fully explain the whole aspects that happen in this movie, but I recommend you to watch it!

Honestly, I respect her so much because even if she grew up with crackheads, she has never attempted or try to be like them. She was anti-social because she didn’t have friends, but she somehow ended up being confident in the end. She made it through life while she was still a homeless for 3+ years. In the movie, she said she didn’t understand what the world is like, so she wanted this experience to know how it’s like to live in this “world.”

I love love love love love this movie! <3 If I were to rate it 1 through 10, I’d say this movie is a 11! If you’re interested in these topics:

• Relationship with family
• Relationsip with friends
• Life
• True events
• Traumatic events
• School/Education

Then I’d suggest you to watch how Liz Murray got through HELL with everything that went on in her life. Trust me, you’ll love it and can learn so much out of this movie.

Ignition.

The only thing that’s making me feel proud of myself is…

I got into Ignition! I am now a Mentor (:

We’re having a sleepover at the gym in July, a few days before next school year begins. I’m not sure if I can go because my parents always had an issue with sleeping over at places. There’s two synthesize, but I dunno what that means o.o Probably an activity to get to know other mentors, I guess. But this is Synthesize 2! Synthesize 1 will be held at the library a few days after school ends. Lolol.

I hate participating in activities, but I gotta do what I gotta do. I just hope I get the cool freshmen’s. Not the naughty, obnoxious gross ones… Anyways, I’m so excited & glad to be a mentor!!!

You know what I hate most?

When your friends leave you out of everything or they don’t ask you to tag along to their plans. You know, it’d be nice if I get invited to events or occasions along with my friends. But no, no one has ever come to me and ask. Man, typing all of this makes me sound like a total loser and that I don’t have friends lol… Seriously though, I remember how my friends and I would always hit each other up, watch movies, go shopping, eating, & chilling, etc. But now it seems like we found new people in our lives that it makes you guys think it’s okay to exclude your friends out of everything we used to do together.

Like wow. I never really thought of that… If something came up, I would understand. But really, to have ALL your friends together and not me there… it just makes me feel unimportant. Do you guys hate me or something? Did I do something wrong? Am I not fun enough? Oh all the questions… I’m your friend, the least you could do is ask me if I wanted to come. Idc if my parents are strict or something. I’m old enough to take care of myself. I just don’t understand this at all lol.

Independency.

The thought of us being apart is making me fall apart. I couldn’t cope with it then, and I don’t think I can cope with that now. How can you be independent when you’ve depended on others your whole life?

I don’t know, maybe it’s just the thought of me handling things on my own. I could never really “handle” things on my own. I mean, I guess you could say I’ve done things before with no one’s help, but this is so much different. Why must life be so confusing?

I have so much shit on my mind that I have to let out, but there’s like no place that I can actually write, express, and put my feelings out there without sounding like a total whiny, selfish, depressing bitch. I’m sick of always constantly letting this anger get the best of me instead of resolving the issue. But even if I tried, things will always go back to the way it was in a matter of days.

I feel like my brain and my heart is going to explode -_- Why can’t I just say “fuck this” and move on with life? It’d be so much easier. Oh typical me, always complaining about the littlest things.　

I know I shouldn’t cry because I know I’m stronger than this. I learned not to care or try to care less so I wouldn’t be so hurt when I find out things that I shouldn’t have heard. I used to be weak and sensitive, but I believed that I grew into a stronger and better person. But now, I just feel like I’m back to day 1 where I’m weak, sensitive, that kind of person that tries not to care, but in reality, I really do care. I dunno, I just lost all hope in myself and always convincing myself that things will get better… But it just doesn’t work the way I want it to.

Trying to be the stronger person.

I’ve always been that type of person to have doubt in myself in everything that I do. Like I would tell myself that I’m not good enough to do this or I lack a lot of qualities in order to do a certain thing. And it frustrates me so much because I envy those people who have so much confidence in themselves and actually believe that they can do it. And then there’s me, who’s always wondering why they’re getting so much out of it while I’m standing there, alone, and confused about what to do….

Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve been on here. I’m never on Tumblr anymore! I have so much things that I need to share with you, Tumblr! So much things have happened and I guess I wasn’t in the mood to post them up within the past 2 months. But don’t worry, I’ll be blogging the whole Summer and I’m sure of it :) Summer is almost here, I can finally catch up with my blogging life! LOL ok bye.

Okay, what is up with people being all depressed nowadays? No, I’m not judging anyone nor am I trying to get involve in anyone’s business/life. Except, I do need to put my thoughts out there. But seriously, it makes me feel really bad when people are so depressed, especially if it’s friends that I know of. I used to be that type of person to just say “Just move on, you’ll get over it soon” but really, they’re just words. It’s more like “Just take your time, you’ll be okay”

And I really mean that you’ll be okay. Unless it’s something that’s life-threatening…. But anyways, assuming that you guys have problems with your life, your life isn’t as bad as you make it look like. You’ve been cheated on? Leave that bitch because you know there are other good guys out there for you. Your parents neglected you? Don’t worry, you’ve still got a couple more years until they’re out of your life for good. Friend dramas? Oh please, they’re your friends for crying out loud. You never disrespect them, ever.

Unless your life is on the line, you’re living on the streets on your own with no one to go to for help, you’re starving yourself because no one can provide you with necessity and essential items, then I don’t think your life is that bad. Sure, your life is complicated now, but it’s not complicated as those who would risk their lives everyday trying to live & make it on their own.

You’re still young, you guys are beautiful, you don’t deserve to go through this phase. Don’t even try to commit suicide, even though you’re dealing with a lot of crap, this feeling of anger & depression you have inside you is only temporary. Whether I cut, smoke, drink, take pills, or whatever that takes away my stress for a bit or not…. I’ll never truly understand what you’re going through. But I do know that you don’t deserve to be depressed, and that your life will get better eventually. You just need to stop thinking so suicidal or whatever because it’s just gonna get more tough on you.