Ryan Murray is an officer with the Dowagiac Police Department, serving as the resource officer for Dowagiac Union Schools.

He keeps our students safe and ensures they make it to school regularly. He also helps to coordinate safety programs and events in our schools.

He has helped find missing children and has been the lead on solving crimes that impacted our community.

It is not his daily work that makes Murray such a great person, though.

It is the daily interactions with students and the ‘behind the scenes’ work he does that makes him our starfish hero this month.

Ryan is an avid supporter of our fine arts programs in Dowagiac.

Murray was instrumental in helping out with the Young Americans program at Dowagiac Schools last month. He helped to coordinate all of the hosts, so our Young American guests would have a place to stay.

He also takes a week vacation each summer to help out with the DUS Marching band.

Band Director Justin Makarewicz said Officer Murray is always a big help with the spring musical. This fall, Murray built props for the marching band.

He is also involved in the community’s fine arts scene through the Beckwith Theatre Company, and has opened its doors for our students to be a part of it.

On a daily basis, you can see Murray interacting with kids, chatting with them in the halls, visiting classrooms, and even joining middle school students for lunch.

A few middle school students shared some thoughts about Officer Murray:

“He always gives you a nice compliment,” said Kayla H.

“Last week, he sat with us during lunch and he was saying nice things to all of us,” said Lacy C. “He is very polite.”

“He helped me untie a knot in my shoe when I could not untie it,” said Jordan B.

Probably the most moving statement came from Madison Stout, who retold what she shared during the Young American’s performance.

“I have always been shy,” she said. “Officer Murray always sat next to me in band because he plays trombone too.  He would encourage me to play louder. Later he also helped me get into Beckwith Theater. Because of him, I am a more confident person.  In fact, he is the reason I ultimately decided to go to college.”

Starfish heroes make an impact on the lives of our students every day, one student at a time. Undoubtedly, Murray is one of these starfish heroes and someday he will look back on his work and know he made a difference in so many young lives.

 

Matt Severin

Principal, Dowagiac Middle School