From Homeless to Harvard

8/16/2019 From Homeless to Harvard

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FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD 1

From Homeless to Harvard :

The Lizz Murray Story

Hafizatul Salma Harif Fathilah 1!1!"#$

%e&tre for Fou&datio& Studies of '&ter&atio&al 'slami( )&iversity Malaysia

HSM **+, -asi( .sy(holo/y0 Se(tio& 12

Semester ,0 *!113*!1*

Miss Asmiza Shamshi

1+ MAR%H *!1*



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD *

'&trodu(tio&

'& 4revious (lass0 5e 5at(hed the story e&titled 6From Homeless to Harvard7 that it is 8uite

related to o&e of the (ha4ter i& our te9too; 5hi(h is Motivatio& a&d Emotio&< The story 5as

(hose& as it is a /ood e9am4le of motivatio&al story that tells the audie&(e aout the real

mea&i&/ of life alo&/ 5ith ho5 situatio& (a& lead us to survive< =ith the hel4 of elaoratio& of

the s(e&es y the le(turer0 it is mu(h easier for us to u&dersta&d (o&&e(tio& et5ee& motivatio&

theory a&d e9am4les sho5ed i& the movie< He&(e0 5e 5ere as;ed to summarize the story 5ith

some theories< This tas; 5as ei&/ do&e i&dividually 5ith si&(ere o4i&io&s to sho5 our 4oi&t of

vie5 to the to4i( related< The story 5as ei&/ summarized a&d had e(ome the tri//er for us to

5rite aout 5hat motivates us a&d ho5 to a(hieve it i& a real life< From the e94erie&(es /ai&

throu/hout the story did affe(ti&/ my studies0 to e e9(elled a&d &othi&/ is im4ossile to

a(hieve0 &o matter 5ho you are<



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD ,

Motivatio& Theory

The term motivatio& is defi&ed as the >4ro(ess that i&itiates0 /uides a&d mai&tai&s /oal?

orie&ted ehaviors so that 4hysi(al or 4sy(holo/i(al &eeds or 5a&ts are met@< This is 5hat (auses

us to a(t0 su(h readi&/ a oo; to /ai& ;&o5led/e or 5or;i&/ to ear& mo&ey for survival< 't

i&volves the iolo/i(al0 emotio&al0 so(ial a&d (o/&itive for(es that a(tivate ehavior< ormally0

5e used the term motivatio& to des(rie 5hy a 4erso& does somethi&/<

E9tri&si( a&d i&tri&si( motivatio&s are oth lay u&der the ty4es of motivatio& 5hi(h

related to the re5ard or satisfa(tio& that o&e a(hieves< Some 4eo4le are motivated to a(t or

ehave i& (ertai& 5ay e(ause of the 4leasurale e9ter&al re5ard su(h /etti&/ a 4rese&t or ei&/

4raise for every /ood /rade o& a re4ort (ard0 5hi(h refers to e9tri&si( motivatio&< =hereas0

i&tri&si( motivatio& is (losely related to the reaso& ehi&d the a(t itself 5hi(h is re5ardi&/ or

satisfyi&/ i& some i&ter&al ma&&erB

-oth may affe(t the result of 5or; or ehavior as (o&(er& i& o&e of the resear(h do&e y

Teresa Amaile aout the (reativity of (hildre& i& doi&/ art5or; a&d the results are: E9tri&si(

motivatio& de(reased the de/ree of (reativity sho5& i& the e94erime&tal /rou4@s art5or; 5he&

(om4ared to the (reativity levels of the (hildre& i& the i&tri&si(ally motivated (o&trol /rou4<



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD C

A44roa(hes to )&dersta&di&/ Motivatio&

Drive?redu(tio& a44roa(hes are aimi&/ to /ai& su44ort i&volved the (o&(e4ts of &eeds

a&d drives< =hat is &eedB 't is a re8uireme&t of some material su(h as food or 5ater that is

esse&tial for survival of the or/a&ism0 i& this (ase is huma& ei&/< =he& 5e as a huma& have a

&eed0 it the& leads to 4sy(holo/i(al te&sio& a&d 4hysi(al arousal that motivates us to a(t i& order

to fulfill the &eed a&d redu(e the te&sio&< This te&sio& is (alled drive< A drive (reates a&

u&4leasa&t state0 a te&sio& that &eeds to e redu(ed<

The theory is ra&(h out i&to t5o ;i&ds of drives0 4rimary a&d a(8uired se(o&dary$<

.rimary drives are those 5ho i&volve survival &eeds of the ody su(h as hu&/er a&d thirst 5hile

a(8uired se(o&dary$ drives are those that are lear&ed throu/h e94erie&(e or (o&ditio&i&/0 su(h

as the &eed for mo&ey or so(ial a44roval< The&0 a theory of motivatio& 5as su//ested aout the

im4orta&(e of three 4sy(holo/i(al &eeds su(h a(hieveme&t0 affiliatio& a&d 4o5er< This is also

;&o5& as the theory of &eeds<

The &eed for a(hieveme&t &A(h$ is a &eed that i&volves a stro&/ desire to su((eed i&

attai&i&/ /oals that are realisti( a&d also (halle&/i&/ o&es< e9t0 the &eed for affiliatio& &Aff$

that (o&sider o&eself 5ho &eed to have a frie&dly so(ial i&tera(tio&s a&d relatio&shi4s 5ith others

or i& other 5ord0 see; to e 4o4ular a&d li;ed y others arou&d them< The last &eed i& this theory

is the &eed for 4o5er &.o5$< .eo4le 5ith this &eed 5a&t to have (o&trol or i&flue&(e over others

a&d ma;e a& im4a(t o& them0 as lo&/ as their ideas ei&/ used0 re/ardless of 5hether or &ot

leadi&/ to su((ess<



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD "

The fi&al a44roa(h had ta;e& 4la(e y the study of Araham Maslo5< He 5as a&

Ameri(a& 4sy(holo/ist ;&o5& as o&e of the fou&ders a&d 4ri&(i4al e94o&e&ts that 4ro4osed

aout huma&isti( a44roa(hes< 't ma&ifests the series of o&/oi&/ hierar(hy of &eeds i& order to

a(hieve the hi/hest level of 4erso&ality fulfillme&t< There are sta/es of &eeds sho5s i& fi/ure

elo5:

A((ordi&/ to Maslo50 a 4erso& started to fulfill their asi( &eeds efore 4ro(eedi&/ to

other &eeds till they rea(h the self?a(tualizatio& 4oi&t< =herey at this 4oi&t0 a 4erso& 5ill fully

rea(hed a&d satisfied his or her huma& 4ote&tial< There are also 4ea; e94erie&(es0 5he& the times

(ome at least tem4orarily for a 4erso& to a(hieve self?a(tualizatio&0 e(ause there 5ill al5ays e

u4 a&d do5& i& our life<



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD +

Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

The dramatizatio& is 5ritte& y Ro&&i er&0 ased o& true story of a /irl &amed Elizaeth

Murray or ;&o5& as Lizz Murray that (omes from a 4rolemati( family< Her mother 5as a dru/

addi(t0 al(oholi(0 le/ally li&d a&d suffers from s(hizo4hre&i( me&tal disorder (hara(terized y

a rea;do5& of thou/ht 4ro(esses a&d y 4oor emotio&al res4o&sive&ess$< =hile0 her father

seemed &ot to (are aout 5hat ha44e& at home0 he ust sat do5& o& the (ou(h a&d read oo;s<

He 5as a /e&ius eve& he ma&a/ed to a&s5er all diffi(ult 8uestio&s o& the 8uiz sho5 (orre(tly<

The story e/i& 5ith the (o&fli(t et5ee& her sister0 Lisa a&d her mother aout mo&ey

that she ;e4t e(ause they &eed it to survive a&d uyi&/ food< She rarely /oes to s(hool0 e(ause

of her (are to5ards her mother< Till the day 5he& the 4aramedi(s (ome to her house to ta;e a5ay

her mother for the treatme&t0 she the& /o to s(hool a(;< She 5as treated as a trash at s(hool0

e(ause she had a hy/ie&e 4rolem< Her tea(her0 Miss =a&da eve& amazed at her for /etti&/ 1!!

mar;s i& the test< Duri&/ her ase&t to s(hool0 she did read a lot i& e&(y(lo4edia /ive& y Eva0

her &ei/hor 5ho fou&d the e&(y(lo4edia i& a trash0 the 5hole set e9(e4t from R to S<

Miss =a&da i&sisted her to /o to s(hool every day e(ause she 5as a& i&telli/e&t ;id a&d

did tolerate 5ith her if she (ould &ot atte&d the (lass 5ith full atte&da&(e< Dee4 i& her heart0 Lizz

felt sad aout s(hool a&d do &ot ;&o5 ho5 to tal; aout it 5ith a&yo&e< The house that she lived

i& 5as &ot a house that 5e (a& (all a home0 mess 5as all arou&d the (or&er< There 5as a day

5he& the 4eo4le from (hildre& 5elfare (ame to her house to /et her a&d rou/ht her to the /rou4

home for tee&a/ers< Her life e(ame more miserale a&d traumati( there after 5it&esses o&e of

the /irl there ei&/ eate& e9tremely< After a fe5 years0 she 5e&t home a&d met her family0 a&d

fou&d out that her father 5as 4la(ed u&der the shelter for homeless a&d lost their a4artme&t<

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_disorder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_disorder



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD 2

She 5e&t a(; to her old a4artme&t0 ut &othi&/ 5as there< She 5as so re/ret that she

does &ot /o to s(hool a&d had a &e5 missio& i& life< O& the &e9t day0 she /oes to s(hool a&d met

&e5 frie&ds< ot lo&/ after that0 she ru& a5ay 5he& her /ra&dfather do &ot let her est frie&d0

%hris to move i& ut i&stead her frie&d ei&/ (hased out from her house< They e(ame homeless

a&d 5e&t to a &e5 stra&/e (ity to survive< Ma&y osta(les that Lizz had to /o throu/h efore she

fou&d out that her mother died< After the fu&eral0 Lizz met her father to as; hel4 for the

4ermissio& to /o to s(hool<

-y that0 she (ould /o to s(hool a&d fi&ish C years of hi/h s(hool i& t5o< That 5as her

aim0 a&d she studied every5here0 eve& 5he& she 5as 5or;i&/ a&d i& the su5ay< She 5as o&e of

the 1! to4 stude&ts 5ho /et a (ha&(e to /o to -osto&0 5ith the e94e&ses 4aid tri4< At Harvard0

she 5as amazed 5ith the surrou&di&/ of the (olle/e< She really 5a&ted to e 4art of it0 a&d she

loo;ed for a&y s(holarshi4 that she (a& a44ly for her dream to e(ome true< The&0 she 5as

e(ame o&e of the fi&al (a&didates of s(holarshi4 y The e5 Gor; Times< Her story0 from

homeless to Harvard su44osed to e a /ood e9am4le for other 4eo4le to motivate themselves &o

matter ho5 hard the (o&ditio& is<



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD

The story itself ei&/ (hose& to sho5 ho5 surrou&di&/ /ives im4a(t to our life< The

stru//le to survive i& satisfyi&/ hu&/er is o&e of the 4sy(holo/i(al &eeds sho5ed i& these s(e&es:

The first s(e&e sho5s ho5 Lizz a&d her sister stru//li&/ 5ith her mother for the mo&ey0 so that

they (a& use the mo&ey to uy food< '&stead0 5he& her mother /ets the mo&ey0 she lied a&d /et

out of the house a&d 5e&t out to uy dru/< Lizz 5ho follo5ed her mother the& satisfy her hu&/er

5he& she fou&d some u&s i& the trash<

e9t0 she really 5a&ted to e 5ith her family0 e a((e4ted a&d elo&/< All her life 5as

dedi(ated for her family0 es4e(ially her mother that she loves so mu(h< She met %hris at the

s(hool0 a&d they e(ome very (lose< These sho5ed the third sta/e of &eeds 5hi(h is

elo&/i&/&ess a&d love &eeds 5here Lizz &eed love a&d (are from her family a&d frie&d<



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD #

-ut after her mother died0 she realized that she &eeds to ta;e (are of herself a&d e stro&/

to fa(e all the (halle&/es a&d osta(les that (ame after5ard< She 5e&t to the s(hool0 /et /ood

/rades a&d really aim to fi&ish four years of hi/h s(hool studies 5ithi& t5o years< She had a /ood

(o&sumi&/ of time et5ee& 5or;i&/ a&d studyi&/< She too; five re/ular sue(ts0 5ee;e&d 5ith

4ro/rammi&/ sue(t0 &i/ht s(hool lear&i&/ Fre&(h a&d studied s(ie&(es a&d 4ra(ti(i&/ al/era

till late at &i/ht< Her dedi(atio& a&d (oura/e to lear& 5as so stro&/ a&d (o&siste&t< The a(ts are

re5ardi&/ a&d satisfyi&/ her e(ause she really 5a&t to lear& a&d /o to (olle/e after she a&d her

frie&ds at s(hool 5e&t to Harvard themselves to see the (olle/e life< These s(e&es sho5 her drive

for (o/&itive &eeds0 5hi(h remi&ds her to have ;&o5led/e0 mea&i&/ i& life a&d self?a5are&ess<



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD 1!

't the& leads her to the &e9t sta/e of &eeds0 5hi(h is the self?a(tualizatio& &eed< She fou&d

her self?fulfillme&t a&d realizes the 4ote&tial to e someo&e su((essful i& life< She a44lied for the

s(holarshi4 y The e5 Gor; Times to 4ursue her studies to (olle/e<

Lizz0 5ho amo&/ the (a&didates that /et the (ha&(e to (ha&/e her life y /oi&/ to (olle/efou&d the tra&s(e&de&(e &eeds /ive& y The e5 Gor; Times< The authority 5ho /ave out the

s(holarshi4 hel4s the stude&ts to a(hieve their self?a(tualizatio&0 es4e(ially Lizz 5ho 5as a

homeless a&d (ome from 4rolemati( family<

Self motivatio&





FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD 1*

Someday0 ' 5ill have my o5& usi&ess i& the area that ' love so mu(h< %omi&i&/ the

/reatest taste of the 5orld0 healthy a5are&ess a&d fit&ess 5ill hit my tar/et< Everythi&/ is i& my

mi&d a&d ' 5ill try my very est to a(hieve it< Ho5ever0 the 4riority is my family< Seei&/ my

4are&ts smili&/ a&d ha44y for 5hat ' a(hieved is the o&ly 4ri(e that suits my tar/et< ' 5ill &ever

let them do5&0 a&d for that0 ' must e someo&e that they (a& e 4roud of<



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD 1,

%o&(lusio&

The (halle&/es 5hile doi&/ the assi/&me&t is to really u&dersta&d ea(h situatio& a&d relate them

5ith the motivatio&al theory fou&d the (ha4ter i& .sy(holo/y< The story really affe(ti&/ my

mi&dset a&d leads to the motivatio&al drive to 4erform 5ell i& studies a&d e 4assio&ate i&

5hatever ' do< ' had lear&ed from the story0 that everyo&e deserves to /et the o44ortu&ity to lear&

a&d 5ithi& ourselves0 5e must have the 4assio& to love the ;&o5led/e< =ithout ;&o5led/e0 the

vie5 to see the 5orld 5ill e more &arro5 a&d useless< =e 5ill &ever 5a&t to e out of the o9

a&d a(hieve our self?a(tualizatio&< Therefore0 5e must have the (oura/e to (ha&/e our life for a

etter ri/ht future<



FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD 1C

-ilio/ra4hy

%ha4ma&0 A< %o4yri/ht *!!1$< Maslo5@s Hierar(hy of eeds< Retrieved Mar(h 1"0 *!1* from

htt4:334af#1*!fall*!1!<lo/s4ot<(om3*!1!1!!1ar(hive<html

%herry0 < &<d<$< =hat is motivatio&B Retrieved Mar(h 1!0 *!1*0 from

htt4:334sy(holo/y<aout<(om3od3mi&de93/3motivatio&?defi&itio&<htm

%i((arelli0 S< <0 I =hite0 J< < *!!#$< Psychology. J: .earso& .re&ti(e Hall<

S(hizo4hre&ia< &<d<$< '& Wikipedia. Retrieved Mar(h 1!0 *!1*0

htt4:33e&<5i;i4edia<or/35i;i3S(hizo4hre&ia

http://psychology.about.com/od/mindex/g/motivation-definition.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia

http://psychology.about.com/od/mindex/g/motivation-definition.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia

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