RALEIGH, N.C. — U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis joins Senior Political Reporter Loretta Boniti for a candid conversation about his life and his upbringing.

Tillis shared stories of his childhood and one life-changing moment that changed the direction of his life. He also shared stories of his family being on the move a lot as he was growing up and being a grandfather today.

“I decided that I was going to go into the Air Force and then a month before I was supposed to ship off to basic training, I had a car accident and was discharged. So, then I found myself — got to work. I was 17 when I moved out of home, I was pretty independent so as soon as I graduated I moved out of home. So I had to pay the bills,” Tillis said.

While Tillis went to work as a young adult, he also made it his mission to earn his degrees. This took him years, but he says the reward in the end was worth it.

“I talk to a lot of people who are struggling, and they may be in their late 20s to complete college. I said it's not too late,” he says. “I remember vividly, putting together a spreadsheet and clicking off my successes time after time after time. I had an assistant who worked with me at IBM, she was a little younger than me, but she was going through the same process when she was in her 40s. And I would just tell her, write it down, just watch that progress, and then it will just pass by in a moment's notice.”

Tillis' wife Susan joined us for the conversation. She says while where they would end up living and exactly what they would be doing was not clear in the beginning, she says her husband did have two clear visions for their future.  

“On that first date he said two things to me, two things that you need to know,” Susan says. “One day I hope to be in public service, and I want to have a son named Thomas Ryan Tillis, and I tell everybody that was probably my moment to go a different direction, but instead, here we are, and we have both. “

Watch the link above to learn more about what has made Tillis the man he is today.

Tillis is seeking his second term as North Carolina's U.S. Senator.  He is a Republican.