By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
IT WASN’T that long ago that Brenda Murray worried about her son’s future.
Raymond Murray, 18, was born with Asperger’s Syndrome and as a younger child found himself without a high school to attend.
That was until parents Brenda and Mark, from Berwick, discovered Kambrya College in Bemersyde Drive, where Ray completed his education.
On Monday the teenager officially graduated from the VCAL program, and that night was awarded a Community Spirit and Leadership Award by Holt MP Anthony Byrne.
“Myself and my husband looked after him and cared for him and brought him up to be a good person and he is,” Brenda said this week.
“He respects people. He was at Kambrya for six years and they have supported him 100 per cent.
“I was scared about high school for him, a lot of kids didn’t understand him, but now he’s finished year 12 and he’s come so far.”
Ray has acted as an equal opportunity advocate for the rights of disabled people and he has been a constant and visible advocate for equality among his peers.
His voluntary involvement in the Casey Asperger’s Support group has also been invaluable, and he has actively encouraged other students to join the group.
Ray has also cemented his place as a permanent member of the Masquerade Community Drama group.
Brenda said she was incredibly proud of her son’s growth and maturity which was on display last year when he presented a speech at school on accepting people with a disability.
In his speech, Ray passionately encouraged his peers to stand up for the rights of other students.
“Just because someone is mentally or physically disabled it does not mean they cannot help you or contribute to society in some way,” he said at the time.
“Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, they had Asperger’s.
“They are just a few of the famous scientists and inventors who had a disability but yet created objects that we still use in everyday life.”
Kambrya College assistant principal Keith Perry couldn’t have been more ecstatic with Ray’s achievements at the school, and commended him wholeheartedly on receiving the Community Spirit and Leadership Award.
“From an early age, Ray was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. However, he has not let it hold him back,” he said.
“He has shown a passion for knowledge, and his infectious enthusiasm and outgoing personality have made him one of the most loved and treasured characters at Kambrya College.”
