STORIES
Community
DONATE

Christopher Gardner

by Leslie from Spokane

Christopher Gardner (chrisgardnermedia.com)
Christopher Gardner (chrisgardnermedia.com)

My hero is Christopher Gardner, a man who embodies a true “rags to riches” story. Born February 9th, 1954, Chris now successfully resides in Chicago and New York. Christopher Gardner became who he is today in the city of San Francisco, California. His story is popularly recognized in the recent movie The Pursuit of Happyness, where he is played by actor Will Smith.

Christopher Gardner is truly inspiring because of the obstacles he has overcome in his life. Giving up has never been an option for Christopher as he climbed from the streets of San Francisco to where he is today; a successful stockbroker in Chicago and New York. Growing up, Christopher was taught that he could become whatever he wanted to be. Despite where he came from, he believed with hard work and faith he could become a success. Unlike many others, Chris actually believed this and proved it. After high school, Chris joined the navy. He came home and got a job in medical sales while living in San Francisco with his wife and son. As a medical salesman, Chris and his family were barely making it. His life changed when he met a man getting into his red Ferrari one day outside of a San Francisco brokerage. Finding out he was a stockbroker, Chris made up his mind that this was the career he wanted to pursue.

Because he truly believed he could be what he wanted to be, Chris continued to pursue this new dream as his living situation went from bad to worse. Although Chris got accepted into a brokerage training program with Dean Witter Reynolds, he was living on next to nothing. After going to jail for a brief period of time because of parking violations, Chris’s wife left him and his son alone. He was incredibly busy with his training program, but he did not give up on his son. Chris says "I made up my mind as a young kid that when I had children they were going to know who their father is, and that he isn’t going anywhere." While involved with the training program, Chris found that he was not able to make ends meet and he found himself homeless in the San Franciscan subway. This is when Chris found the Glide United Methodist Church in a San Francisco neighborhood, which allowed Chris and his son to sleep in their women’s shelter. Throughout all these hardships, Chris truly never gave up on his son or his job. Passing his licensing exam on his first try in 1981, Chris worked day and night to eventually secure an apartment for his son and him. In 1983, the firm he worked for became the top producing firm in San Francisco, and in 1987 Chris broke away and established his own, Gardner Rich & Company. Today, Chris’s brokerage is extremely successful in both Chicago and New York.

<a href=http://media.npr.org/programs/newsnotes/features/2006/jun/happyness/cover.jpg>Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner</a>
Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner

Although Chris has turned his rags to riches, he is extremely involved in making a difference, further placing him as a hero in my eyes. Back at Glide Methodist Church in San Francisco, Chris assists with fundraising, makes donations, and is most recently involved in a $50 million dollar project to revitalize and provide more housing to the surrounding neighborhood where he was once homeless. In Chicago, Chris is involved with the Cara Program, assisting homeless with comprehensive job-training and permanent job placement. He is a huge activist for all fathers and serves as a board member of the National Fatherhood Initiative, increasing the proportion of children growing up with involved and active fathers. In 2002, Gardner received the group’s Father of the Year Award. Furthermore, Gardner is committed to making a difference in all children’s lives, sponsoring education awards and serving on the Chicago Teacher’s Union. He also authored a book about his life which has recently been turned into a Hollywood hit.

Overall, Chris is my hero because he is an example of extreme faith and devotion. He is committed to giving back to others and making a difference for others currently in a hard spot financially. He is a present day advocate for the homeless, fathers everywhere, and education. He is truly an inspiration for all regarding hard work, and a real life story revealing rags really can be turned to riches with faith and the right attitude.

Page created on 10/13/2007 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 10/13/2007 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

All About Chris Gardner - The Official Site of Christopher Gardner
The Pursuit of Happyness - Christopher Gardner's book
Gardner and Rich - The Official Site of Gardner's Productive Business
National Fatherhood Initiative - The site of the Fatherhood Initiative Gardner is such an advocate for. He received the Father of the Year Award in 2002
"Happyness" for Sale - CNNMoney.com's article on the single dad who became a successful stockbroker!