Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariana Gillen-Sanchez.
Hi Mariana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Dyslexia hits close to home, and I am very passionate about it because I was diagnosed with dyslexia in 2nd grade and know firsthand how difficult it is to have learning problems associated with dyslexia. For me, my parents were very diligent in seeking input from experts in this area and searching out tools that would help me not only cope with my dyslexia but also thrive as I continued to learn instead of continuing to struggle. I know how lucky I am to have had access to these simple tools, and I want to give that opportunity to other young learners who may be having some of the same challenges that I had. In these kits are tools that helped me deal with my dyslexia and will hopefully help them deal with theirs too. I know having dyslexia can be very hard, especially for children that are just learning how to read. My plan was and is to help those children so that reading can be so much easier and that they can learn to love reading!!!
I made M.A.R.I. Kits. M.A.R.I. stands for “Making Awesome Reading Improvement.” Thanks to all my generous Sponsors – Columbia Restaurants Group, Julie Weintraub’s Hands Across the Bay, Rice Psychology Group, TLC Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, and Target. These kits distributed through United Way Suncoast to children. I first looked back at my own experience and the tools that were made available to me to help me deal with my dyslexia. I then spoke with experts in the fields of evaluation and well as teaching children with learning difference to get their input and advice on what tools they have used to assist children to aid in improving their reading skills. Once I came up with a list of items that we all agreed would be helpful to children with dyslexia, I then started looking for support in the community.
I began by reaching out to local community leaders and nonprofit organizations that may have an interest in helping children with learning difference. In that search, I identified many willing to help. I reached out to each of them directly, either by calling them at their office or finding their contact information online and emailing them.
As I began reaching out to community leaders, I quickly thought of Mr. Gonzmart. He is a well-known member of the community that has done so much for others in a humble and often silent way. I thought he might be interested in assisting me in my efforts, so I reached out to him by contacting a representative at his company. This representative quickly responded to me and said that Mr. Gonzmart was very interested in helping and in fact wanted to sponsor the entire project. By this time, I had already gotten several other sponsors and only needed a couple of more items to be sponsored, so I replied back to him, thanking him and letting him know of the remaining items that I needed. He was so generous and was quick to help out. I was then given the honor and privilege to meet with Mr. Richard Gonzmart, CEO of Columbia Restaurant Group, and it was a fascinating and very pleasant visit! During this meeting, I found out that Mr. Gonzmart was actually diagnosed with #Dyslexia and #ADHD at the age 43 years old. He went through his entire childhood knowing that he learned differently, but not having access to the help that he needed, but he learned to adapt and overcome the challenges that this brought and now considers Dyslexia to be his “Superpower.” This is why he was so ready to help me to help other children with dyslexia. He is an incredible and very kind man. It was so cool that we talked and talked about our strengths in having Dyslexia. We agree that we will never outgrow learning differently; however, we must see it as a gift to think and do things differently. I am so grateful for Mr. Gonzmart’s support and words of encouragement. This Girl Scout project has taught me a lot about myself and how I can make a difference in our community, and how we are instruments of God in this world. Mr. Gonzmart is such a perfect example of that.
I initially started by creating 25 M.A.R.I Kits and distributed all of those quickly. I later worked with Mr. Gonzmart to create another 25 kits and distributed all of those. Mr. Gonzmart has offered to continue to assist me in created additional kits to fill the need in the community. I have not been able to hear back directly from the children who have received the kits, but I have had the wonderful opportunity to personally present these kits to several children myself at a local elementary school and to show them how to use each of the items in the M.A.R.I. Kit. It was so wonderful to see their faces light up when they received them and for them to know that these are being given to them so that they can access their “Superpower.” One of the television interviews that I participated in was broadcast all around the United States, and that resulted in many parents and grandparents around the world reaching out to me through social media asking where they can receive one of these kits. I was able to create a list on Amazon that contained all of the items that they would need to created a M.A.R.I. Kit on their own so that they could purchase the same items that I did and have them available to the child in their life who might benefit from these tools.
Even after I completed the initial batch of M.A.R.I. Kits, I have continued to create more kits on my own without sponsors and have provided them to local elementary schools that specialize in working with children who are dyslexic. Most recently I worked this past summer in order to save the money to create another 25 kits and donated to a local school this past October in honor of National Dyslexia Awareness Month. I was able to take a tour of the school and meet with the principle and the teachers. They have since invited me back to volunteer at the school, which I am planning on doing.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been many struggles along the way. The first was to make sure that the kits that I was assembling and providing would actually be helpful tools for them. I worked with specialist in dyslexia diagnosis and treatment to get their input on each of the items in the kits and felt confident that the final M.A.R.I. Kits would be helpful to children in need. The other obvious issue was cost. It costs over $1,000 for each batch of kits that I assemble, and it’s not always easy finding sponsors willing to help support the efforts of a 15-year-old. I had to learn how to identify people in the community that might be interested in supporting this effort and then find a way to reach out to them. Many of them were prominent people or organizations that aren’t used to 15-year-old students contacting them for such an important effort. I was fortunate to connect with people who had the means and also had their own history with dyslexia which made it possible to get this initiative started. As I continued this effort and planned to create more kits, I was able to get a job over the summer and use that money this past October to fund the kits myself. The other big struggle is having the confidence to reach out to school principles and administrators and share with them my thoughts on these Kits and schedule appointments to meet with them. Again, they are not necessarily used to a teenager reaching out to them with tools to assist them in working with their students with dyslexia. Each of these struggles taught me more about myself and the importance of persistence.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
For me, I am only 16 years old, but I have had the blessing of going on this journey to help other children like me. I struggled with Dyslexia at a young age and had the benefit of parents who were able to help me navigate this challenge. This has given me the courage to do something to help other children just like me. It has provided me opportunities to speak about this issue on television, in books, and in magazines so that other children like me can also find the courage to meet their challenges head-on. To me, dyslexia isn’t a disability it is my “superpower”!
Of course, I owe so much to my parents, who have encouraged me and supported me in this effort. They knew all too well of my struggles in school, and when I expressed to them that I wanted to help other children like me, they were there every step of the way to support me and allow me to grow.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pqbd.kits
Image Credits
Katherine and James Gillen
