Imagine a boy whose mother was purchased for seven-hundred-dollars. The whereabouts of the boy’s father are uncertain. When the boy is but a baby he, his sister, and mother are kidnapped by night raiders and sold in a neighboring state. Mr. Carver, the original slave owner, sends out a search party, only to find the boy the lone survivor – and barely at that. He will be the only one of eleven siblings to live past childhood.

As slavery ends, Moses and Susan Carver take the boy in as their own. While they encourage reading, writing, and intellectual pursuits the attainment of such will prove difficult. He travels from family to family, city to city, school to school in the pursuit of an education. He witnesses a black man beaten to death at the hands of white men, but he does not despair. He continues to seek a place where the color of one's skin will not dictate success or failure. 

Letter after letter he submits to colleges, all in hope one will accept him. After five years, it seems persistence has finally paid off. But when school officials realize he is black the acceptance turns to rejection. So instead of professional schooling, he begins a homestead. In addition to plowing 17 acres by hand, planting rice, keeping myriad trees and gardens, he works odd jobs for others. He eventually attends college to study Botany. He is the first black student; he will go on to earn a Master’s degree, receive an honorary Doctorate, and become the first black faculty member.

Oh what a man can do with intelligence and science on his side!  Just look at this fellow - he overcame overwhelming odds though his own might and power.  This fellow - George Washington Carver - would disagree …

In his life Dr. Carver would withstand racism, criticism, and resentment. He would help poor Southern farmers yield better crops and establish a foundation. He would research natural cures, alternative forms of fuel, and find some 300 uses for peanuts, and hundreds more for sweet potatoes, soybeans, and pecans. Business leaders would seek his advice – and he would freely provide it. He would garner the respect of presidents and royalty alike. And he credited it all on his faith in Jesus Christ. Not a very PC thing to say, even in the 1920’s. But that did not sway Dr. Carver. He stayed true to his convictions. He believed God and science went hand-in-hand; and he wasn’t afraid to admit the fact.

You see, George Washington Carver understood the key to true success: "When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." His life proved it. Chances are if we follow his blueprint, our lives will prove the same.

Imagine a boy, born to the rural lands of Pennsylvania.  With little formal education, he did what any teenager in his situation would do - he took up an apprenticeship.  But the print business was not his forte and he was quickly fired.  So he took up another apprenticeship - this time under the watchful eye of a candy maker.  Four years he studied his craft.  Even then he must have shown promise, for his mother's family financed a venture all his own - a Pennsylvania candy company.  For six long years he worked at the business, but to no avail.  Forced to close, he moved out west to Denver. While there he took a position with a confectioner specializing in fresh milk caramels.  Before long he had moved to New York City, where he opened another candy store.  It failed too.  So off to Chicago he set, where he opened yet another candy company, only to find it a failure as well. 

You know what they say, third time's a charm.  But what happens when it's not so much?  What happens when everything you put your hand to fails; when friends and family begin to question your ability?  I mean, let's be serious.  After awhile it gets a bit embarrassing.  Not to mention discouraging.  Do you give up?     

Not Milton Hershey.  Milton S. Hershey forged ahead.  He may have been nearing thirty, and nearly bankrupt, but that didn't stop him.  With four losses under his belt, he tried once more for a win.  Returning to Lancaster, he opened the Lancaster Caramel Company.  This time he struck gold.  His fifth business was so successful, in 1900 he was able to sell it for a whopping 1 million dollars.   All so he could focus on his true passion - chocolate.  Three years later he returned to the place of his birth to open a new chocolate factory.  And the rest is history ...      

So the next time we go to drown our defeat in a large vat of Hershey's milk chocolate, let us think of the man behind the bar.  A man who refused to let his dream die, despite one setback after another.  A man who learned from trial and error, so that every man might be able to enjoy the smooth, creamy goodness of milk chocolate.  A man who used his wealth to build a thriving town, all because he believed his employees deserved better.  A man who thought up the "Great building campaign" to add beauty - and countless jobs - during the great depression.  A man who, though no children of his own, left an ever-growing legacy through schools and educational grants.  A man who proves to us still today, that hard work and perseverance have a funny way of turning life's bitter disappointments to sweet success.