Mike Anderson: My Biggest Influenced My Life

My biggest influence isn 't a relative or a celebrity, as it might be for most people. Mike Anderson, an author, photographer, and church leader, has had a major influence on me in several ways. He has shown me that my circumstances cannot dictate my happiness, that if I really want something in life I have to pursue it, and that faith is something that everyone has, regardless of their religious views. Like myself, he has had to face and overcome a wide variety of obstacles and trials and has become a stronger, wiser, and overall better citizen and human being because of it, and he has given me the strength and encouragement to never give up even when it seems like the odds and universe are against me.

One major quality that intrigued me about Mike is how resilient he is to adversity. As a child and adolescent, he grew up

She always taught me that education is very important and knowledge holds more value than money, and I believed her-- until this past summer when I realized that there is a high price on obtaining knowledge after high school and that private institutions will try to prevent even the best of students from reaching their full potential if they don 't come from high-class families. When I learned that I would not be able to attend the school of my dreams solely due to the fact that my family could not afford it, I turned to Mike for advice and encouragement. He told me that it doesn 't always matter what school gives me the degree, just so long that I earned it, and that I don 't have to go into debt to earn a quality education. He then gave me a copy of his book, Self, Made, which I read within hours, and I felt so uplifted and determined to overcome these financial tribulations and decided continue to pursue post-secondary education. If God had not drawn me to Wave Church, I would 've never met Mike and would likely not be writing this essay