Dr. Ben Carson, a candidate for the Republican nomination for the presidency, is a physician who emerged from a life of poverty in Detroit, MI, to earn global respect in the field of medicine. A child in a single parent home, he tells his story of overcoming the challenges of poverty and low self-esteem to live his dream of being a physician. In a speech in Florida on April 28 to 600 students at Naples Charter School-Mason Classical Academy, Dr. Carson recalled the challenges of his young life and said, "It was a combination of faith and education that got me through all of those things."
His medical career is historic; he has been presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor; and, along the way Dr. Carson has written 8 books dealing with not only inspiration and medicine, but also with encouraging Americans and America to new heights in education, personal achievement and national pride and accomplishment.
Dr. Carson is now emeritus professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His career highlights include pioneering, life-saving advancements in pediatric neurosurgery. He has dozens of honorary degrees, is a member of many professional organizations and sits on the board of many large companies. In 2001 he was named by CNN and TIME Magazine as one of the 20 foremost physicians and scientists in the nation; in 2008, U.S. News & World Report and Harvard's Center for Public Leadership, named him as one of "America's Best Leaders."
He is president and co-founder of the Carson Scholars Fund, an organization that has awarded more than $6.2 million to 6,200 young scholars with "exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishment." The Fund also creates Carson Reading Rooms "to encourage young students and their families to discover the pleasure to be found in books and to recognize the true power of learning."
The World Affairs Council has extended invitations to potential or announced presidential candidates to appear at open-to-the-public Presidential Candidate Forums during the 2015-16 campaign season. The Council believes part of its mission is to provide an opportunity to examine the strategies, proposals and opinions of people who seek the highest office in the nation. Because the Forums are a public service, members and non-members will pay the same price to hear potential presidents discuss their positions and views on domestic and foreign policy.