Inspired by Dr. Ben Carson

As you know, I’ve partnered with Great Homeschool Conventions to help share about this year’s homeschool events. One of the GHC speakers is Ben Carson, who I’d never heard of — so I started doing a little researching, and what I found out was impressive.

{GHC is one of my sponsors; see disclosure.}

A man worth knowing about:

If, like me, you’ve lived under a rock and have never heard of Ben Carson, I’ll tell you a little of what impressed me as I’ve read about him online and watched Gifted Hands, a movie about his life. (Though not rated, the movie is family-friendly. No foul language, suggestive content, etc. Kathryn hid her eyes during surgery scenes, just in case, but they were not gruesome.)

First of all, he is a world-renown surgeon with a bazillion awards, degrees, etc., and some groups are even petitioning him to run for President of the United States!

Dr. Carson’s mother grew up in foster care and married at the age of 13 to escape the system, but his father left the family when the kids were young. Mrs. Carson had only attended school through the third grade and barely knew how to read, so job opportunities were limited and they lived in poverty. She encouraged her boys to work hard, but “Benny” was a poor student — until he learned to love reading.

There’s a scene in the movie when Ben is dangerously close to losing his college scholarship, so his girlfriend asks him to think about how he learns best. When he tells her it’s through books, she tells him to skip lectures and spend that time reading. That turns out to be great advice and he aces his exams. {Hurray for knowing your learning style!}

Although he’s known for several monumentally historic surgeries — like the first-ever successful separation of twins conjoined at the skull — Dr. Carson says the most interesting and important operation he has ever done is always the one he has just completed. That’s pretty cool. He is a man of faith and always prays with his patients, too. I like that.

Resources to learn more:

Want to learn more about this inspiring man, and maybe even spend some time studying him in your homeschool? A few resources to help:

• Visit his official website, RealBenCarson.com.
• Learn about his scholars program and fund.
• Read one of his books! The Ben Carson page on Amazon lists them; I found a few at my local library (waiting for me to go pick them up!) so check with yours, too.
• Read the soon-to-be-released Heroes of History book.
  (Kathryn loves this series so we’ll likely buy this one!)
• Watch the movie Gifted Hands, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr.
  We thoroughly enjoyed it! Currently available on Netflix, too.
• Attend GHC: Tickets are still available for Dr. Carson’s talk in Greenville, SC (next weekend, so hurry!) and Cincinnati, OH (in April).

There aren’t a whole lot of modern day folks I’ve read about that are more inspirational than Dr. Benjamin Carson. It’s nice to hear about someone like this for a change, someone worthy to be called a role model.

Read more about GHC and Ben Carson at iHomeschool Network’s Spotlight Page!

Jamie

Wife, mom, grandma. Introvert who finds joy in good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Fitness enthusiast and personal trainer. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand.