Ben Carson By Jiovany Reyes, HMP

“Do your best and let God do the rest.” ~ Ben Carson

Early Life Early Life

On September 16, 1951, in Detroit, Michigan, one of the greatest minds in history was born, Benjamin Solomon Carson. Ben's early life

was difficult, growing up in the hardened climate of inner-city Detroit .

After his parents divorced, Ben and his brother were raised by their mother, Sonya Carson. The family was very poor and his mother had three jobs just to make

ends meet. However, Sonya taught her boys that anything was possible.

The Dream Begins

Every time the Carson family went to the hospital they would wait a Every time the Carson family went to the hospital they would wait a long time to be seen by the interns. As they waited to be seen, Ben long time to be seen by the interns. As they waited to be seen, Ben would listen to the pulse of the hospital as doctors and nurses went about would listen to the pulse of the hospital as doctors and nurses went about their routines. He would hear doctors’ names being called over the PA their routines. He would hear doctors’ names being called over the PA system and fantasized that one day they’d be calling for a “Dr. Carson.” system and fantasized that one day they’d be calling for a “Dr. Carson.”

A Rough Road Ahead

Both Ben and his brother experienced difficulty in school. Ben developed a Both Ben and his brother experienced difficulty in school. Ben developed a violent and uncontrollable temper, and was known to attack other children at the violent and uncontrollable temper, and was known to attack other children at the slightest provocation. The poverty he lived in coupled with his difficulty in slightest provocation. The poverty he lived in coupled with his difficulty in school made his anger issues worse. However, his mother did not give up. She school made his anger issues worse. However, his mother did not give up. She was determined to turn her sons around. She was criticized for this by her was determined to turn her sons around. She was criticized for this by her friends, who said the boys would grow up hating her. But she was determined friends, who said the boys would grow up hating her. But she was determined her sons would have greater opportunities than she did. her sons would have greater opportunities than she did.

Dr. Carson's Interview

Within a year, Ben Carson was amazing his teachers and classmates with his academic improvement. He began to realize he wasn’t stupid. Before long he was at the top of his class. However, Ben still had a terrible temper. Terrified by his own actions, he started praying asking God to help him find a way to deal with his temper. He found salvation in the book of Proverbs in a passage that went, “ Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.”

His Career Begins…..

Ben graduated with Honors from high school, he knew he wanted to pursue a medical career. But he wasn’t financially well off, Carson had to work his way through college. From his work and a scholarship, he attended Yale University and earned a B.A. degree in psychology.

After graduating from Yale in 1973, Carson enrolled in the University of Michigan School of Medicine, choosing to become a neurosurgeon. In 1975 he married Candy Rustin whom he met at Yale. He earned his medical degree and moved to Baltimore , where he became a resident at John Hopkins.

Highlights of his Career • Full time professor of Neurosurgery , Oncology, Plastic Surgery, and

Pediatrics at John Hopkins Hospital

• Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the John Hopkins Children’s Center

• First Successful separation of craniopagus twins

• 2001 CNN and Time magazine named Carson as one of the Nation’s 20 most foremost physicians and scientists

• 2001 Library of Congress selected him as one of 89 “Living Legends”

• 2006 NAACP’s Spingarn Medal

• 2008 President Bush awarded Carson the Lincoln Theatre Medal

• 2008 Presidential Medal of Freedom – U.S. Highest Civilian honor

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Newscast

• “Success is determined not by whether or not you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them. And if you look at these obstacles as a containing fence, they become your excuse for failure. If you look at them as a hurdle, each one strengthens you for the next.”

• ““God has given us more than fourteen billion cells and connections in God has given us more than fourteen billion cells and connections in our brain. Why would God give us such a complex organ system unless our brain. Why would God give us such a complex organ system unless he expects us to use it?” he expects us to use it?” 

• ““Everyone in the world is worth being nice to. Because God never Everyone in the world is worth being nice to. Because God never creates inferior human beings, each person deserves respect and creates inferior human beings, each person deserves respect and dignity.” dignity.” 

• ““If we acknowledge our need for God, He will help us.” If we acknowledge our need for God, He will help us.” 

THINK BIG !!THINK BIG !!