A true working-class Prime Minister, Mike Moore showed all New Zealanders that hard work, initiative, guts, and determination can lead to very big things. He taught everyone to aim for the stars, because that's what he did, via books. Mike left school at the age of 15 for a job in the freezing works, but he was an avid reader. That he made his way to Parliament just eight years later is a testament to his work ethic, his dedication, and his intellect. Through his love of learning and reading, he educated himself, and he was eventually awarded honorary doctorates from Lincoln University, the Auckland University of Technology, and the University of Canterbury, as well as an honorary doctorate from the People's University of China and an honorary doctorate from La Trobe University in Australia. 