My son Michael was born at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California, near San Diego. He was eight pounds one ounce and was 20 inches long.

He attended San Diego Academy. When we moved to Florida, he attended the Jacksonville Junior Academy. As there were no 11th and 12th grades at the Academy, Mike chose to attend public school rather than go to Forest Lake Academy in Orlando to finish the 11th and 12th year in the private schools. He attended the Orange Park High School then transferred to Forest High School in Jacksonville.

One summer, Michael did volunteer work at the Orange Park Nursing Home Center. At first, he didn't want to do volunteer work because all his friends were working and getting paid. I gave him a good talk about intangible compensations. But I added that if he did a good job, I would consider raising his allowance. He decided to give it a try.

So, for the duration of the summer vacation, Michael wheeled people in to the dining area for bingo, played wheelchair volleyball with some of them, and helped feed some of the patients. He said that he enjoyed working as a volunteer, and that he had gained valuable lessons in patience, love and caregiving. Michael received a certificate and a letter of appreciation for a job well done.

After high school, Mike attended the Flagler Career Institute and studied respiratory care. He is a licensed respiratory therapist but is currently working as a dialysis technician at a Dialysis Center in Jacksonville.

Before working in the health profession, Mike worked at various companies through TRC, a temporary employment agency. He worked as a computer tape librarian with Prudential and with Independent Life.

Michael received an Employee of the Quarter Award on at least three different occasions working for TRC.

Mike's hobbies and interests in his younger years were collecting baseball and football cards. He also collected comic books. Now, he collects fancy pocket knives and is into Mustangs--reading Mustang magazines, considering joining Mustang clubs, etc. He talks about upgrading certain features of his current Mustang.

He enjoys music. In school, he played the saxophone and trumpet. He has a slew of electronic gadgets that make up his entertainment system and fill up his entire bedroom.

Michael wrote a poem entitled, 'Heritage', as an assignment in Creative Writing class. Click on the Heritage icon to read.

Mike graduated from Jacksonville Junior Academy in Mandarin. He was the Vice President of his graduating class.