2016-2017 Issue 12 | Page 5

Kathy Murray's Story

By: Ryan Hernandez

Every year the Archbishop Shaw Parents Association gives out a full tuition scholarship to one of its members. The winner is randomly selected from parents that have met all of the requirements such as going to all of the meetings and working a set number of service hours. The money for the award comes from the Salesians who work, teach, and live at Archbishop Shaw in order to help a family pay for tuition. The drawing for the scholarship happens at the last Parent's Association meeting of the school year. Last year's winner, Kathy Murray, was an exceptionally worthy recipient.

Kathy’s son was born prematurely and wasn't expected to survive. However, he fought against the odds and was eventually able to live a normal life. Since then he has needed treatment for various problems and the medical bills piled up. For a parent who has gone through so much, winning the scholarship felt like a miracle. When her name was called, Kathy didn't think that she had actually won and it took two calls for her to react. She was ecstatic when she got up and received the award that she was sure she wasn't going to get. The gift that the Parents Association and the Salesians gave her was truly one that she will always remember. For the gift of having your son happy and educated is one that is priceless, and Kathy was able to do just that.