Florida A&M will be honored by the presence of Dr. Benjamin Carson on Sunday, Nov. 15, sponsored by the Student Government Association.
Carson, a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon, will speak at Lee Hall Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.
For many students, Carson’s presence will inspire them to reach for their dreams.
“I look forward to hearing [him] speak,” said Dwayne Smith, 23, a fourth-year accounting student from New York City.
According to hospkinsmedicine.org, a Web site that features the biographies of neurologists who have worked at John Hopkins hospital, Carson was raised by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to support her children.
He experienced poverty and academic disappointment at an early age, but his mother limited the amount of time he had to play until he completed all of his work.
Carson soon improved in school and developed a desire to someday become a physician.
He even impressed his teacher and the other students when he identified some rocks the teacher brought in, as stated on the site.
“It was in that moment that I realized that I was not stupid,” said Carson.
Some think his life story results in him being great motivation for the students at FAMU.
“His story is absolutely amazing,” said Whitley Smith, 20, a third-year nursing student from Thomasville, Ga.
“I think he will really be able to relate to us.”
According to the Washington Bureau, Carson is a professor of neurosurgery, plastic surgery, oncology and pediatrics at the John Hopkins School of Medicine. His medical career includes a host of outstanding achievements.
In 1987, Dr. Carson performed the first and only successful separation of Siamese twins and was named one of the nation’s 20 leading physicians and scientists in 2001 by CNN and Time Magazine.
He also has a movie based on his life that was released February 2009 titled “Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story,” along with many more recognitions and achievements.
Admission is free for all FAMU students with a valid ID, $10 for non-FAMU students, faculty and staff and is $15 for the general public.
“I think we are really lucky to get somebody of this stature to come to this school and talk to us,” said Smith.