Debonair Murray
University of
Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
Graduation Date:
12/21/2018
Occupation:
Hospitality Industry with Courtyard Marriot and Aimbridge Hospitality and Brand
Ambassador For Superior Supply Co., striving to provide products of the
greatest quality. Making everyday pieces for the above average person
Facebook: Debonair
Murray
Instagram:
debonair_debonair
1. What does "Distinguished
Gentleman" mean to you?
What a distinguished gentleman
means to me that is that you are confident man and that you are solid in your
identity, whatever that may be. There is always room for improvement if you
strive to be a distinguished individual. According to the Dictionary, a
gentleman is defined as a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man. A
distinguished gentleman is more than just the walk and the talk. To be a
distinguished gentleman, I believe that one must develop and strive to improve
those traits. When you step into a room, your presence should be felt first
without even saying a word not because of what you are wearing, but simply
because of the very essence of who you are. Whether it is crooked or not, your
smile should shine a light so bright that it makes the blind see. Your touch no
matter how foreign to a stranger it may be should bare so much authenticity
that ignites a contagious desire to inspire them to make others feel loved and
that their existence is appreciated. That is what a distinguished Gentleman
means to me.
2. What is your brand and how did you
get started?
I don’t have a brand just yet, but I would like
to say that I have made impacts on the campus that I graduated from and the
community it lies within. The difference I made for the community was done through student leadership.
Ever since the start of my undergraduate career I felt like I was required to
get involved to not only find a community on campus to be apart of, but to also
help me find and cultivate my niche during my undergraduate career.
Think about it, when you were a
freshman one of the first things you wanted to find on campus besides food was
a place to belong and feel wanted. I believe it’s important to take care of
things for the betterment of others and not for yourself. I saw so much beauty
and life in minority student organizations and I strived to give others the
same exact vision that I have. Becoming an executive member in minority student
organizations wasn’t just a decision for myself. I wanted to show men,
especially those that had the same experiences as me coming into college that
they too, can be leaders and inspire ambition to the others around them.
I try to use my abilities and
talents to inspire and build courage in others to express themselves with their
talents and art and motivate my African American community to carry themselves
with the unconquerable mindset of African Kings and Queens.
3. What is your dream goal and how do
you plan on achieving it?
My dream goal is to able to
balance my passion with my purpose, which is whatever God makes that to be. I
pray that God grants me the desires of my heart with the things that I want to
do and the career that I want to pursue but if my passion isn’t the career
destined for me I know that I will be fine simply because my passion will not
die. Whatever or wherever my career path will take me, I know that I will find
a way to incorporate or stay active in my passion.
4. Name a moment that you feel helped
shape you into the young man that you are today.
A moment that shaped me into the
young man that I am today was moment I had a brief conversation with Paul
Brunson before he did a presentation to campus during my time at Texas State
University. At that point and time in my life I was still maturing so I seek
advice and mentors desperately. Once I saw that Brunson was coming to Campus I
could not miss it. I remember that day I was at an all time low. My self esteem
was stomped on and thrown in the trash and I prayed that his presentation would
revitalize my life.
I scanned my ID and walked through
the double doors. I saw the clusters of people ahead of me and I just dropped
my head because I didn’t want to be seen. Honestly, I didn’t feel like I was
seen. For the longest I had the mentality of feeling like a fly on the wall. As
I speak on this I can recall the weight of worries that I carried in eyes, my
scarred heart that I recklessly wore on sleeves, and the chips that I wore on
my shoulders. I walked through the crowd and I felt a warm hand touch my cold
body. He simply said “How are you?”. I simply looked at him and remained
silent.
The next thing you know he grabbed my shoulders
with both of his hands and he looked me dead into my eyes and said “Hey man,
you’re going to be alright I promise you”. My mind was absolutely blown. This
was the first interaction I had with this man, and he saw all of me: The good,
the bad, and the ugly and still believed in me in a time where I didn’t even
believe in myself. After that moment, I was in the presentation taking so many
notes and watching his every move. He had such confidence, intellect,
vocabulary, and hope all while still being a down to Earth regular guy.
5. Name a person (dead or alive) that
you look up to & why?
A person that I look up to would
be Common. Common’s claim to fame was first a rapper, but with time this man
became multifaceted. He is now an entrepreneur, mentor, actor, and film
producer. The average person would look up to him for his successes but for me
I look up to him because even though he has achieved milestones, he hasn’t
forgotten that he is human. Everything about Common is genuine. His flaws, his
music, his emotions. I look up to him and see a man confident and in tuned with
himself and happy.
6. When it comes to being a man, what
do you feel should be the three core values that a gentleman should uphold?
When it comes to being a man,
three core values a man should uphold is love for all mankind, respect for
women, and confidence in himself to succeed and overcome what may come their
way.
7. What is a quote that live by and
how do you live up to it?
A quote that I live by is “Until the
Lion has a Historian, The Hunter will Always be the Hero”. I live up to it by
trying to discover more about people than what’s on the surface. I have a
strong desire to see people’s worth past their face value. I want to feel
people before I feel them. If that makes sense.
8. Piece of advice that you would
give to young men of color who do not believe in themselves or lack role
models?
To the young man of color who
doesn’t believe in himself: You can be anything that you want to be. All you
must do is believe in your vision and most of all yourself. Never forget to be
yourself no matter how hard it may seem. In our society it is way too easy to
be everybody else, but what’s truly amazing is a strong, confident individual
that can stand and walk on their own two feet.
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