CityView Magazine

24 November 2022 Her cadets respond by sharing some of their fears as they approach adulthood. "Your education matters to Sgt. Maj. Murray," she tells them. Murray also reminds them of their obligation to their neighbors. "Your community should always mean something to you. Your community has to have value to you," she says. Murray served 26 years in the Army. She and her husband settled in Fayetteville, where she ran into a JROTC instructor at Pine Forest High School. He told her she would make an excellent instructor and the program needed more women role models. She began teaching later that year, instructing youngsters not only about military history and decorum but also about life in general. She did it so well that within two years, Cumberland County Schools honored her as Teacher of the Year. Assistant South View High Principal Wesley Fulmore refers to Murray as "a great mentor." She works well with both boys and girls who have had difficulty with appropriate behavior, he says. "She made school exciting and inviting again, and she encouraged students to be proud of their accomplishments," he adds. Murray has stacked up accolades and achievements like the layered sergeant major stripes on her uniform sleeve. In the male-dominated environment of the military, Murray quickly rose through the noncommissioned officer ranks to sergeant major. She is happy to give credit for her success to supervisors and colleagues in the Army who she says saw and recognized her abilities to lead even before she did. Her accomplishments span the spectrum of her life. e Army Quartermaster Hall of Fame Class of 2021 recognized her for significant contributions to the history and traditions of the Quartermaster Corps and inducted her into its Hall of Fame. Of the 22 honorees in 2021, only two were women. In April, President Joe Biden recognized her for volunteerism with the prestigious 2021 President's Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest designation of the President's Volunteer Service Award program. She was cited for more than 4,000 hours of community service. Murray credits her passion for giving back to her grandmother and father. ey had big hearts, she says. Current and former student cadets thought well enough of her to nominate her for CityView's 2022 Power of Giving Community Impact Awards presented by PWC. Among them were Ailana Ross, a sophomore at South View. "Everything she does is very helpful for our community," Ailana says. "She is a selfless person, and I'm always thankful for everything she helped me with." Trinity Ashworth, a freshman at North Carolina A&T State University, remembers meeting Murray as a cadet at South View. "Actually, I was quite intimidated. She had a strong presence. But once I got to know her, I found out she really cares," Trinity says. "She is stern, but she wants you to improve and better yourself. She convinced me to apply for an ROTC scholarship. I'm at A&T on a full ride," Trinity says. She emphasizes that Murray's concern that students perform at their best is not just directed toward her cadets, but to all students at South View. Jack Larson met Murray during his junior year as a cadet. He graduated in 2018 and Ruby Murray is a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor at South View High School. She has been there since she retired from the Army in 2016, instructing and mentoring young people — America's future — to be the best they can be in whatever endeavor they pursue.

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