“My first mentors were my parents. It’s hard to draw the line between them because they worked together so well. The messages and values they taught us were always consistent. They clearly wanted us to be grounded in faith, family and community. My mother was the kindest person I’ve ever known, but also one of the strongest. From my father, I learned about dedication, honor, and loyalty. He was very humble, but we were proud of his accomplishments. As a veteran, he literally put himself in harm’s way many times protecting the United States. An example like that stays with you always. The words of wisdom I learned from both ring in my ears every day.”

Follow Michael’s story here.

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