Do you have a dream? We asked our community this question last December  giving one leader the chance to have their dream fulfilled by The John Maxwell Company. We were thrilled with an overwhelming response of 85 dreams – each unique and inspiring.

After much deliberation, we were honored to fulfill the dream of Dr. Mary Robinson, the faculty leader at Montgomery College in Germantown. Mary serves as the Assistant Professor of Reading, Reading Coordinator, and Dept. Chair of Communications (American English Language, Reading, Speech, and World Languages). In addition. , Mary serves as an inspiration and path maker for students and members in her community.

“When the dream is right for the person and the person is right for the dream, the two cannot be separated from each other.” – John Maxwell, Put Your Dream to the Test

After finding out about the contest via Twitter, Mary knew this was her chance to potentially see it come true. She desired to provide 70 E-Readers for a Developmental Reading college course to inspire students to read, encourage growth through novels and leadership books and integrate e-reading programs into her lesson plans.

Months after receiving the Kindles, Mary shared about the impact it had on her community with us:

What did you think when you found out that your dream was being fulfilled? 
At first I said to myself, no WAY! After a few days, I felt a sigh of relief that I was well on my way to improving and increasing Reading Literacy for students. I was grateful for the generous gift from The John Maxwell Company. Then, the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance of E-Readers in the classroom was raised, and I thought that my dream would not come to fruition. So I identified a Community of Readers including students at high schools, colleges, technical schools, single moms and dads, and youth Bible study classes at an inner city church who would be able to benefit greatly from the E-Readers.

Can you share an individual’s story where there was great impact from the E-Readers?

College Students
College students found the Kindles to be “just what they needed.” From catching up on the Twilight series to not carrying around bulky books to downloading course-required reading, students are loving them!

“Having a kindle encourages me to read at anytime as oppose to having to pull out a book for class.  I have been reading more at home and on the bus.” – Coppin State University Student

“E-reading makes Reading more pleasurable because you don’t have to carry a lot of heavy textbooks.” – Towson State University Student

Youth at an Inner City Church
When we handed the Kindles to the youth at an inner city church, I stepped back and observed how excited they were to download the Bible. At this year’s Good Friday service for youth and young adults, they were using their Kindle-edition of The Bible to search for the scriptures throughout the service.

Single Mothers
I now have three single mothers using the Kindles to read books to their children. This observation was tear dropping for me because I foresee Kindles as a means to increase family reading discussions.

As a company, we’re pleased to see leaders like Mary working toward growing others in immense ways. Mary had the chance to see her dream come to fruition and immediately took that step. Even when she reached a roadblock, she turned it into a success for the community.

Mary left us with one final note: “Success is… knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.” – John C. Maxwell.

Leaders, how have you seen a need and moved forward to help others grow? We’d love to hear your story of making dreams reality!

Answer below or share with us on Facebook or Twitter .

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