As the American family, I believe it is our responsibility to actively shape the future we want to create for our children. For me, I have always seen the dreams of our children as our pathway to creating a brighter future. Dreams are one of those things that can’t be seen or touched, but they are undoubtedly felt in the heart of every person, young and old. We live in a country founded on the pursuit of the American Dream — a place we are promised the freedom to envision and to choose our future.
Our choices are directly influenced by the technology that surrounds our daily lives. To take responsibility for the dreams of our children, we must take responsibility for the technology we make available to them, and how we shape their relationship to it. If their dreams determine our future, isn’t it in our best interest to do everything we can to ensure they have the proper tools and guidance to succeed?
In March 2019, I had my heart set on showing the community the power of what dreams can do. After holding the OPEN Doors Challenge online, I wanted students and their families to grasp the importance of coming together as a family to celebrate and honor the power we have to uplift and support each other. As I felt the suffering of the children without equal access losing hope in their future, I decided the next step in my mission to use technology to equip and empower families was to hold our first OPEN Doors Challenge event.
Having supported Technology for the Future through the resources of A.M.-Technologies alone, I knew to make the event I envisioned a reality I would need help. So I set to find champions in the community who shared my desire to help students. My good friend, Brain Hamilton, founder of the Brian Hamilton Foundation, generously contributed $50,000 to help fund the event.
Knowing that we had to deliver devices for what turned out to be almost 700 students, I ensured we would have the resources to pay for enough devices by stretching every dollar. Determined to bring my vision to life, my team and I dedicated night and day to make sure we delivered.
In just a few short weeks, we ended up preparing over 650 laptops, adding 150 more to the original 500 because I had a dream that we did not have enough, so I wanted to ensure no child would be left out. Sure enough, my intuition was right and we ended up having over 650 students in attendance. It’s moments like this where I’m thankful for my faith to guide my victory.
“These computers are from us not because we think that you need them, they’re for you because we need you”, I tell the students sitting on the floor of the coliseum in front of me, anxiously awaiting to open the gift my team and I worked endlessly to provide. The time to see all of our hard work pay off was here, and over 650 students excitedly unwrapped their laptops. With friends and family in the bleachers watching, at that moment, I felt the relief of the students’ hope for their future return. The feeling the students in attendance had at that moment is the feeling of family that has the power to change the way our students think, learn, and succeed in light of their dreams — a feeling we can create for all students across the country.
With your support, we can provide every student with the freedom to dream through technology. I challenge you to explore the life-changing resources Operation Dream Force has to offer, and ask yourself what you can give to be part of the mission. For every $9/month donated, we can provide a child with not just a laptop, but with a support system that is by their side, championing them to victory.
Adrian Martinca
“A true victory is a victory shared by all.”
