On September 1, Westmoreland’s instructional staff joined fellow educators from the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES region at the Stanley Theater in Utica for a special presentation by Liz Murray on the importance of forgiveness, survival and resilience.
Murray is the co-founder and executive director of “The Arthur Project.” The organization advocates for underserved youth – particularly youth in middle school – and works to end generational poverty through relationship-based learning. Once a school dropout and homeless, Murray returned to school, earned her high school diploma in just two years and won a scholarship to Harvard University, where she graduated from in 2009. She went on to receive her Masters in Psychology of Education at Columbia University, and her personal journey is the subject of Lifetime Television’s Emmy-nominated original film, “Homeless to Harvard.”
As a passionate advocate for underserved youth, Murray believes having a strong relationship with at least one caring, dedicated adult can make all the difference for a child facing adversity.
“Liz has a remarkable story,” Superintendent of Schools Rocco Migliori said. “A big part of her story involves her public school journey, and how public school teachers changed her life for the better. What she experienced, and how today’s teachers can learn from it, is a great way to start the new school year.”
Instructional staff from 11 school districts in the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES attended Liz Murray’s presentation.