Born the youngest of four children to an abusive alcoholic father and an ill mother, Michael learned early on to make lemonade of lemons. When he was four years old, he and his siblings & mother were able to escape their father. They had nothing other than the clothes on their backs. The family survived by living in and out of homeless shelters and foster homes. As Michael grew older, his mother continued to instill in him the values of hard work, treating others with respect, never giving up, devotion, and being a God-fearing man.
Michael could have easily blamed the world for his problems and ended up on the wrong side of the law. He even had a high school counselor tell him he wasn't smart enough to amount to anything. Instead, he became a public servant and teacher, and eventually a nationally recognized expert in his field.
He has taught thousands of students and many of them repeat a similar message about Mike; "I truly don't know if I would be alive today without the desire you showed to make me be the best I could be. Mike is the true definition of a mentor. We never want to disappoint him. He is an absolute legend and anyone fortunate enough to be taught by him should soak up every moment. Your ability to teach makes you a great instructor. Your desire is what makes you a great person. I can honestly say I am a better person because I met you. I am blessed that I was able to have you as an example.".
Each year growing up, Mike prayed for God to show him the woman who was made for him. Eventually he met her and fell in love at first sight. Together they've tried to instill all their same positive values in their four children.
Mike now devotes any spare time he has to teaching and training community groups & youth organizations, writing training articles, and volunteering for various human betterment organizations.
I'm so proud to call Mike my husband, best friend, and father of my children.
In the words of Brantley Gilbert: "The ones who need me got me. The ones who doubt me can't stop me. Even the ones that said forget him; you can bet they ain't forgot me. Either wanna hit me or hold me. Those who hate me don't know me. And the ones that don't trust anybody trust me. Yeah, the ones that like me love me."
Submitted by Anonymous
We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.
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