“You have a choice in which direction you want to go. You have to believe that great things will happen in your life. Do everything you can – prepare, pray and get results – to make it happen.” This quote is from Ben Carson, the person whose story I believe has had the greatest influence on my life. Throughout his life he had to face many trials and tribulations, which forced him to make many life-changing decisions. He overcame poverty, racism and a violent temper and rose from an "unhappy" childhood to adolescence to become a phenomenal, world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon. He had a difficult childhood, but thanks to his faith in God and the watchful and encouraging eye of his mother, he managed to become a wonderful and God-fearing man. Ben Carson is a truly inspiring person who has gone through such difficult times . and I feel that his life story has had a very positive impact on my life. As I read his book, “Gifted Hands,” it made me realize how lucky I am, compared to him and all the hardships he went through; After his parents' divorce, bad grades at school and a difficult life in general, he managed to become an internationally renowned neurosurgeon. One of the reasons he is a role model for me is because he is a neurosurgeon and is an example of the kind of person I want to become when I complete my life goal of becoming a neurosurgeon. Benjamin Solomon Carson was born September 18, 1951; was born into a poor family in Detroit, Michigan. He was the second son of Robert Solomon Carson, a Baptist minister, and Sonya Copeland Carson. His mother married his father to escape a difficult family situation, his mother married when he was only thirteen, and his father was a twenty-eight-year-old Baptist minister. When... in the middle of the paper... my reaction can only be amazed at the person he is today thanks to his faith in God. He owes everything he has to God's work in his life and to careful and loving guidance that his mother gave him. When I become a neurosurgeon in the future, I will be proud to say that Ben Carson was my role model. What strikes me most about Ben Carson's story is that he is not someone who had an easy childhood, who airbrushed his face on some medical magazine, and tosses about his many accomplishments and awards. He's a humble person who you can relate to and say, "Yes, this is the person I want to aspire to be." But the most inspiring thing that Ben Carson and his life story have taught me is that no matter who you are, no matter how bad your grades are or how you perceive yourself, you can be the best at anything and become whatever you want to be..