It is somehow fulfilling and inspirational to read success and motivational stories from people who have become very successful in their chosen field despite experiencing so many hardships in their lives. Reading and knowing their stories makes us also feel motivated to do something good and the urge to become successful as well. Here are some of the most inspirational and motivational success stories of those people who have come from Baltimore.
Jane Marion wrote the story of Dr. Ben Carson in her article at Baltimore Magazine. Read his amazing story below as he allows us to have a peek at his extraordinary career.
Dr. Ben Carson Tells His Life Story
Image Courtesy of Baltimore Magazine
Lacena “Candy” Carson wanders around the basement family room of her Georgian-style, Baltimore County estate—hammer in hand—performing an extremely familiar task: She’s tacking up plaques and prizes belonging to her husband, Dr. Ben Carson, the internationally-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon.
On this brisk fall night, Candy has fallen a bit behind in her efforts, as she hangs Carson’s 2007 honorary doctorate degree from Columbia University and his plaque from Baltimore magazine’s Top Doctors 2007, alongside the other honors that fill the walls, glass cases, and specially built niches throughout the residence.
The family room, where Carson likes to unwind over games of pool, ping pong, and foosball, is a sort of makeshift museum of the man known for his gifted hands, and Candy is both keeper and curator. A quick glance at the cases and walls reveals more than 50 honorary doctorate degrees from such institutions as Spelman College, Morgan State University, and Yale as well as certificates, trophies, and statues from numerous preeminent organizations.
“Tell them that God is my publicist!”
While many doctors in the Baltimore area have earned international acclaim, not many have a fan base so strong that they can’t go out in public without being stopped for an autograph.
“It’s funny,” says Carson. “Years ago, somebody told me that someone at one of our competitor institutions was asking, ‘Who is Carson’s publicist? How does he get so much press?’ I said, ‘Tell them that God is my publicist!'” Carson chuckles at the memory. “I never sought any attention of any type,” he says. “But it has continued to come, and it’s clear that it’s never going to go away, so I make the most of it.”
“It’s not the home, it’s the people that make it a great place.”
“I don’t necessarily want kids to do something for money,” he explains, “but I want them to understand that when you develop yourself intellectually, you become valuable to society in many ways. You don’t have to take a vow of poverty.”
When the Carsons moved to their house in 2001 (from Howard County), they were actually only intending to buy a large plot of land. See full post here…
Dr. Carson’s story is among the most inspirational stories you may encounter in Baltimore. He is known internationally as a great pediatric neurosurgeon. He is also a firm God believer, letting the competitors know that God is his publicist.
Jay Hancock of The Baltimore Sun also shared another motivational story of an unemployed person turned into a happy ending. Learn how he managed to pull himself through challenging times.
An Inspiring Unemployment Story With a Happy Ending
To buoy folks’ perspective on things, I’m a professional in my mid-thirties, 12 years experience, was laid off in January of last year.
Had a lot of troubles last year: was laid off a few months before my first child was born, my mother in law died suddenly and unexpectedly (about a month before our daughter was due), my wife lost her job the day she came back from maternity leave, and to top it off, I needed emergency back surgery. (Fortunately, that issue cropped up while my wife still had her health benefits–she was given three months insurance as part of her severance.)
Having been laid off in prior slowdowns (post 9/11, and then the plague of corporate scandals in ’04) through it all, I was determined that I was going to come out better off on the other side and would refuse to take a position which would lead to nowhere and being back where I started: laid off. I briefly took a temp job for a few weeks during the summer, sweated out depletion of my savings, my wife and I endured the scam that is individual insurance (try it out and you’ll see why the health care system is broken as the policy covered dr’s visits for our daughter, but not her necessary immunizations during those visits). Click here to read the rest of this post…
In life, we always face several challenges along the way, being unemployed is just one of them. It is not yet the end of the world, all of have to do is get a grip, start fresh and do your best in finding a new job. You may turn your passion into a career. There are lots of opportunities in Baltimore, just persevere.
Last in our list of motivational success stories is the story written by Ron Cassie in Baltimore Magazine about the new book that explores the ordinary life of Baltimore’s first black city councilwoman. It was actually an awesome book. Read the story below to stay inspired.
New Book Explores Extraordinary Life of Baltimore’s First Black City Councilwoman
Photo Courtesy of Courtesy Morgan State University. (Photo by I. Henry Phillips)
Victorine Quill Adams married William “Little Willie” Adams in 1935, a decision, which by itself, would make her a noteworthy figure in city lore. Little Willie was—and forever will be—the most famous numbers runner, bookie, and illegal lottery operator in Baltimore history. He eventually turned those profits into legitimate capital, bankrolling local black startups, including Parks Sausages and Super Pride supermarkets, becoming a powerful force in city politics along the way.
It would be easy, particularly given the period, for Little Willie to overshadow his spouse. Not so, however, with Ms. Adams.
Graduating from Frederick Douglass High School, she studied education at Coppin State University and taught for 14 years. Along the way, she earned her social work degree from Morgan State and founded the Colored Women’s Democratic Campaign of Maryland in 1946 to increase the participation of black women in civic life. Together, she and her husband soon began helping black candidates win numerous key local and state offices, including Harry Cole to the state Senate in 1954, Verna Welcome to the state House in 1962, and Parren Mitchell to Congress in 1970.
In 1966, Adams won her own seat in the General Assembly, which she then left a year later for a seat on the Baltimore City Council—the first black woman ever to seize membership on the council. Her achievements there include helping bring a major Social Security Administration office building to West Baltimore and establishing the Baltimore Fuel Fund to assist with family heating bills in 1979. The project became a model for similar efforts in the state and the country. Read more here…
It was indeed an awesome book, learning a lot from the journey of Victorine Quill Adams. You can actually learn a lot from her. There are lots of motivational people and their stories in Baltimore that are worth reading and can be a source of inspiration for everyone.
