Spot Light on GYV Staff Alumni, Andrew Murray

Name: Andrew Murray

Nationality: Scottish

Attended GYV: 1994 & 1995

Education: B Ed (Hons) in physical education

Current work: Deputy Head Teacher of a special school for students with behavioral difficulties.

Biography highlights: After leaving Legacy in summer of ‘94 I drove right across the USA with Paul Harvey and Will Russell, also of ‘94, until there was no road left! Washed my feet in the Pacific and drove all the way back again. Saw some crazy things on that road trip! I came back in ‘95 stronger than before and didn’t complain once about the bugs or the food!  Spent the next 15 years teaching and getting the experience to do what I do now — helping young people re-engage with their life and education.   I met Julie and now have a 7 year old son called Lewis, who is a wee gem!  

My memories of GYV: So many, I still have flash backs! The mind can take years to analyze everything that happens at Legacy! I can still see the faces of the other staff as if it were yesterday. The children of Legacy, I imagine them all grown up now.  The zero waste days when I had to finish all my tofu.  Building the trim trail, I must have been fit when I was younger.  Reciting Burns poetry into a cassette tape for the Legacy archive.  I wonder who got the job of transferring all that tape onto MP3?  Sitting at Mr. Rash’s  fire and being poured mint tea.  Mostly though I remember the unconditional acceptance and humility of some of the best people I have ever had the pleasure to spend time with (Paul, Will, Linn, Cheryl, Celena, Rebecca, Arianne, Karl, Amir, John (the Navaho), Bob so many).   And then there are all the students….so many….peace to you all…don’t stop believing.