Craig J. Boykin is one of the most sought-after speakers in America. Boykin endured numerous hardships that he credits for his passion for helping others. His father left Boykin and his mother before Boykin was even born. His mother began using drugs when he was in grade school. Boykin was diagnosed with a learning disability and placed in special education in third grade. Due to his difficulties in school, he repeated the third and fifth grades. Consequently, by the time Boykin was in the tenth grade, he was two years older than most of his classmates and he still did not hold the necessary skills to write a five-sentence paragraph.

Overwhelmed, Boykin ultimately dropped out of high school, thus continuing the cycle of high school dropouts in his family. His mother, father, brother, and sister all dropped out of high school. Confused about life, Boykin began engaging in dangerous activities that led him to land in jail and shot by a rival gang member of his brother. Boykin decided to enroll in the Job Corps which allowed him to earn both his G.E.D. and a diploma in Retail Sales. Immediately upon graduating from Job Corps, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. It was in the military that he developed integrity and discipline.

Boykin later enrolled in one of the most challenging four-year universities in his home town. In spite of the educational challenges he faced with a G.E.D, learning disability, and the pressure of failing, three years later, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Auburn University Montgomery. He went on to earn a master’s degree in theology and a master’s degree in criminal justice, both from Faulkner University. He is currently working on his Ph.D.

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