GROVE CITY — Former presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson on Saturday spoke to graduates about responsibility, faith and success at Grove City College’s commencement ceremony.

But he didn’t talk about his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, which sparked some controversy on the college’s Facebook page over it’s choice of Carson as commencement speaker.

He talked to the 595 graduates, who are the second largest class in the college’s history, about his life, from his humble days as a class troublemaker — “I was good at getting other people kicked out of class,” he said to laughter — to his rise as the director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

He told the graduates about how his mother, who was one of 24 children in a family in rural Tennessee and married at 13, never let him or his brother “be the victim.”

He told how she introduced him to books about significant people, and he said as he read those books he began to understand something, a message he imparted to Grove City’s graduates.

“I began to understand that the person who has the most to do with what happens to you in life is you,” he said.

He also recounted the story of Joseph from the Bible, how he was left for dead by his brothers, ended up in prison, but eventually became a governor in Egypt. He tied it in with another message.

“God is in charge,” he said. “His ways are higher than our ways. We can’t always see the beginning from the end, but we just have to trust him.”

Carson closed with one more story, one about children Siamese twins, conjoined at the head, who had undergone several failed surgeries to separate.

After a 28-hour surgery, Carson and a team of others were able to get the children to separate. Within two days, they were eating and within three days they were crawling.

However, that wasn’t the most remarkable part to Carson.

“(Their parents) were literally dancing in the streets,” he said.

Carson closed out his speech by tying that story in with his definition of success: “Taking the talent that God has given us, developing that, and using that to elevate our fellow man.”

Carson is an emeritus professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. In 2001 he was named by CNN and Time magazine as one the nation’s top 20 physicians and scientists.

He was a 2016 Republican presidential candidate before dropping out of the race. He has endorsed Trump as the Republican candidate, and is on the selection committee for Trump’s vice president.

Carson’s endorsement of Trump caused a stir on the Grove City College Facebook page after it was announced that Carson would replace William Bennett as a last-minute commencement speaker.

“This is a disgrace,” wrote Ryan Biese on the Facebook page. “For a college that claims to be Christian and evangelical in character to allow a known supporter of and advocate for a whoremonger to address the graduates shows remarkably little discernment or discretion.”

Kate Suffern Ulrich wrote, “I am ashamed of my alma mater for inviting Trump supporters to speak at this year’s commencement exercises!”

But there were many people on the page who wrote in support of Carson.

“He came to speak when I was a student (20 years ago),” wrote Kelli Gump Watson. “He is a phenomenal man of God and a tremendous speaker.”

Carole Pile wrote, “Great choice! Here is someone at the top of his very demanding field who puts God first. These graduates are blessed to have him speak to them!”

Several graduates were grateful for Carson’s presence at their graduation.

“I think it’s exciting that he’s coming,” graduate Alyssa Baldwin said. “Even if you don’t support all of his political views, he’s a very impressive person. He’s had a good career, and I’m excited to hear him speak.”

Elijah Coryell, student body president, said, “I think the most important thing to take away is the fact that they were able to get any sort of high-tier speaker with the short turn around that they had.”

Another graduate, Charlie Vartelmay, agreed.

“I’m actually a huge fan that we got Ben Carson,” he said. “It was very gracious of him to step in at the last minute like he did. I know there’s been some debate over his political endorsement of Trump, and that should not be a reason that he should not be here.

“I ultimately feel that his political endorsements don’t really define who he is as a man, and he’s done so much good in the scientific community and as a man of God that it’s an honor to have him speaking at our graduation.”