RCLA Town Hall Lecture Series kicks off with annual dinner

At the age of 15, Liz Murray was homeless, eating out of dumpsters and alone. Her cocaine-addicted mother had died, and she was spending all night riding the subways of New York City.

However, when she decided she wanted to better her life, she did it. She got her high school degree in two years and got a full scholarship to Harvard University. Now, she’s pursuing her master’s degree in psychology at Columbia University and working as an inspiration speaker through the Washington Speakers Bureau.

On Jan. 11 at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, Murray told her story to a crowd of 561 at the 2017 Ringling College Library Association Platinum Appreciation Dinner — but not before experiencing an RCLA tradition.

Before the dinner, a portrait of Murray painted by a student artist was unveiled. This year’s artist was Saige Libertore, an illustration student at Ringling College of Art and Design whose speciality is oil paintings. She works hard to create smooth, lifelike portraits, and the second Murray saw her portrait, the smile on her face showed that Libertore’s work paid off.