The lives and careers of Ron Davis, Linda Salley, Marissa Christie and Nicholas Berube are all vastly different. But their respective work all shares one commonality – a desire to serve and lift up others.
Recently, these four individuals were recognized as the recipients of Bucks County Community College’s brand new Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Builder Awards. Each honoree was celebrated during a recent on-campus ceremony, hosted by college president Dr. Felicia Ganther, who drew attendees’ attention to King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
“Dreams are not realized by one’s own self. My coming into this presidency was my dream, but I didn’t get here by myself,” said Ganther, crediting many “unsung heroes” who “planted seeds” of leadership in her. “Success of the nation is predicated upon people who dedicate their lives to building other people’s dreams. When you’re the first, you set the bar for others not only to follow in, but to emulate. You set the bar for those who are standing on the sidelines saying, ‘How can I help others realize their dreams?’”
Davis, Salley, Christie and Berube were selected because they do just that.
For Davis, who was named Corporate Dream Builder, the best part of his job as chief diversity officer of Bensalem’s Parx Casino is giving back.
“Over the last few years, we’ve given over $100 million to community efforts. But more than that, we’ve given the engagement of people from our staff. We’ve been on the board of directors of at least 10 to 15 organizations over any period of time,” he said.
According to Davis, he tries to keep King’s pillars of faith, leadership and service at the forefront of Parx’s mission. An example is its annual participation in Unity Week, which invites locals of all backgrounds and religions to visit various houses of worship and join in their services.
“We want to take that dream of kindness and empathy for all people and spread that in not only the community, but in the world,” he said. “It’s not waiting for someone to give, but us giving. It’s holding the door open for people who may not have the opportunity.”
Salley, who serves as president and executive director of the African American Museum of Bucks County, was named the Community Dream Builder. It was eight years ago that the late Harvey Spencer approached Salley with his own dream – forming a museum to tell the rich history of African Americans in Bucks County, something he felt children were not being taught.
Salley agreed to help and, soon after, the small group began traveling to schools, libraries and community centers with its “Building on the Dream” exhibit, which featured details of the Underground Railroad in Bucks County, the role of AME churches in helping African Americans transition from slavery to freedom and more.
“That dream was to teach young people the same thing that Martin Luther King was teaching us, my generation, when we came along in the ‘60s,” said Salley.
Now, the museum is focused on “Building Our Dream,” a mission to finish renovating its first permanent home at Boone Farm in Middletown Township.
“Everyone has a dream. Everyone. And they have to work and believe that they can bring that dream to life, to reality,” said Salley. “This is my dream. I didn’t know it in the beginning, but the more that I work at building this dream, I realize that it’s important that we all have a dream.”
Christie, CEO of United Way of Bucks County, was named the Humanitarian Dream Builder. She shared that the mission of United Way – connecting people to opportunities for high quality education, financial stability and good health – is also her passion.
“A lot of folks assume that affluence is the standard in Bucks County, and that’s not the case,” she said, explaining that many are living paycheck to paycheck and have no extra money in case of an emergency.
Though Christie admitted she felt undeserving of being described as a Dream Builder, she was honored.
“When I think about what it means, it’s really about ensuring that race, that gender, that sexual orientation are not our sole predictors of outcomes, right? Our aspiration and my aspiration is to create opportunities for everyone,” she said. “I do not feel worthy of this recognition, although I deeply appreciate it, because I never once came to the end of the day and thought to myself, ‘Today I did enough to advance equity and justice.’ But we keep trying.”
The final award went to Berube, president of the Bucks County Community College Student Government Association and class of ‘22, who was named Student Dream Builder. As a photographer, advocate and activist, his photography largely focuses on homelessness and addiction in Kensington, as well as the immigrant experience.
“I’ve been given an incredible platform to live out the tenets of openness and inclusion. I hope that all of my work in any way is a reflection of everything I’ve learned up until now,” he said.
In Berube’s opinion, the greatest lesson taught by King is “open-minded humanity.”
“Dr. Martin Luther King did what many of us don’t want to do, which is engage in dialogue with the opposition,” he said. “Today, in this age of incredible polarization, it’s critical that we don’t give up on each other, no matter our backgrounds. In this way, I try to never shut down another person and to always understand them to the best of my ability.”
The ceremony concluded with a commendation from Sen. Steve Santarsiero, the distribution of bundt cakes to attendees as a token of appreciation, a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by the college’s Madrigal Singers, and a few parting words from Ganther.
“We hope that what you saw on the screen and the words that were shared with you through video and through their own stories has warmed your heart and has encouraged your heart to go out this day forward to ensure that you are helping others to build their dreams and to realize their dreams,” she said.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at [email protected]
