About
Roderick Carson speaking at Shelby County Prison
in Memphis, Tennessee
About Roderick Carson
Roderick started stealing/shoplifting at the age of eight years old. He dubbed it as the “five-finger discount.” What began as stealing candy and petty theft from grocery stores, turned into armed and unarmed robberies as he became a teenager. The thrill of being a criminal was only fueled when he started affiliating himself with GD Folks gang members. This led to multiple arrests, probation, and serving time in the juvenile home. His last arrest was in Lansing, MI and it got him in jail. That experience helped him decide to change his life. Along with the experiences of failing grade school, homelessness, growing up fatherless, and other childhood trauma, he felt the need to share his story everywhere! He is a two-time graduate of Western Michigan University, an author, speaker, ventriloquist, educator, mentor, and an ordained minister. A Michigan native, Roderick has a passion for helping people “turn a negative into a positive.”
Education & Experience
Associate of Arts from Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education from Western Michigan University
Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University
Former assistant principal at Comstock Compass High School, an alternative high school for Comstock Public Schools.
Former GED/Adult Education instructor and has helped students earn their GED certificate.
Former high school teacher
Founder and Director of SOS (Salvation of Streets) an outreach ministry for teenagers.
Former business owner of the snow removal company Fel-Pro.
Former board member of Freedom Schools.
“Turn a negative into a positive”
A paradigm shift occurred and it made a major adjustment to my life !
