Meet Lisa Murray Archer, a 1988 graduate of Buford High School. Lisa was born in Gainesville to Ed and Hazel Murray and was raised in Buford after her family had made the move when she was 2 years old. She has two older sisters, Rhonda Murray McCranie (deceased), and Robin Murray Quesenberry, a 1985 graduate. Lisa began at Buford with ½-day kindergarten in 1975.
“I could have started either 1974 or 1975,” she said. “My precious mother gave me the option to start in 1975 to give me one extra year of adventures with her.”
Throughout her time at Buford High School, Lisa was heavily involved in many different clubs, sports and extracurriculars. She was a part of Future Business Leaders of America for four years, Future Homemakers of America for three years, girls chorus, varsity baseball manager for two years and BHS color guard for two years. Easily said, Lisa did it all.
Lisa’s favorite classes in high school were all the business courses she took at BHS: shorthand, keyboarding and advanced keyboarding. She said she continues to use all the skills, except shorthand, daily.
The staff members from Buford City Schools who had the biggest influence on Lisa throughout high school were Mrs. Willie Mae Brookins and Mrs. Gail Aiken.
“They were two of the kindest teachers who treated each of us like young adults,” she said. “I learned so much about planning and organizing from them. They gave us responsibilities in and out of the classroom and we each worked hard to achieve them.”
Lisa also notes Mrs. Beauty P. Baldwin as having a tremendous impact on her life.
“She seemed to take a personal interest in my educational success. Her professionalism and dedication to students of Buford City SchoolsI and our Buford Community was something I looked up to,” Lisa said. “I consider her one of the greatest educators I have had the privilege to work under.”
When asked what one thing she had learned at BHS and taken into adulthood, Lisa said she learned to value the smallness of the community and schools system.
“When my sister, Rhonda Murray McCranie, passed away in 1997 what I saw and experienced was our little community, former teachers and classmates praying, supporting and rallying around my family and my precious sister’s family,” she said. “There is nothing quite like the feeling of being part of something so big as the uniqueness of Buford.”
After her graduation in 1988, Lisa attended Brenau University in 1993 where she earned a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education. From there, she continued on to the University of North Georgia where she earned her master’s in early childhood education in 1996. Finally, Lisa attended Piedmont College in 2007 where she earned an education specialist degree in curriculum and instruction. In 2007, Lisa completed the Gwinnett County Teachers as Leaders program. While Lisa attended Brenau University, she was on the dean’s list several quarters.
Lisa said she has always known she wanted to be a teacher, even from a young age.
Currently, Lisa serves as the instructional technology teacher at Buford Academy for grades first through third. She resides in Buford with her husband, Brian Archer, and her two sons, Cameron, a 2018 BHS graduate, and Caleb, a 2021 BHS graduate.
She said her Friday nights are spent watching her senior, Caleb, play football as he is the center for varsity.
Without a doubt, Lisa Murray Archer is an outstanding Buford graduate like no other. Her desire to continue education and improve the lives of others shines light onto her selfless personality and her desire to give back. Lisa Archer has accomplished great things throughout her life, and as time goes on, she will continue to change the world. And as a Buford Wolf, we are proud.
— Emily Hammond
