The Olympic Dream
Education as Service
This Month at MCAAD: Sneak Peek
September is here with the promise of new beginnings. But while our minds turn from summer to fall, I am still thinking about the Olympic moments that took place just a few weeks ago and the Paralympics that just ended. During those Olympic days, our MCAAD offices buzzed with pride in our country’s achievements, and we traded stories of heroes and underdogs from around the world. We took particular joy in the many examples of the American Dream come true—stories of athletes, and the families who supported them, whose personal journeys to the podium embodied the resilience and drive of the American Dream. Athletes like Daniella Ramirez, whose Venezuelan parents moved to this country in the 1990s to give their family a shot at a better life. A third-generation artistic swimmer, Ramirez followed in the wakes of her mother and her grandmother to reach the Olympic podium, winning a historic silver with Team USA. Her journey is a testament to her family's enduring passion and the sacrifices they made in pursuit of the American dream.
September also marks back-to-school season, as classrooms fill once more with the potential and opportunity of young minds. This, too, reflects the essence of the American Dream—surrounding yourself with opportunities for mentorship, learning, and inspiration. See below for our top four Olympic American Dream stories, followed by links to others no less powerful. Then read on for the story of a philanthropist who changed the course of education for thousands of rural schoolchildren in the early 1900s. Finally, sneak a peek behind the scenes at our first major art commission, soon to be unveiled.
Rachel Goslins
Executive Director
Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream
As summer fades into fall, echoes of the recent Olympics still linger as a welcome reminder of the power of chasing your dreams. During the competition, Olympians from across the globe showcased their unrelenting pursuit of excellence, embodying persistence and personal growth. These athletes, like many visionaries throughout our nation's history, prove how dreams can become reality through focus and dedication. Here are a few inspiring stories from the 2024 Olympics.
Ashleigh Johnson: As the only Black woman on the 2024 US Olympic water polo team, Ashleigh Johnson shows the potential of tapping into diversity as a source of power. Twenty-nine-year-old Johnson, who is considered by many to be the best water polo goalkeeper in the world, is the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica. She told NPR, “A lesson that I wish I’d heard when I was young was that your difference is the thing that's going to add to the team. It's going to set you apart, and it's going to make your team better. I play this game differently. I look different than most people in my sport. I tell a lot of kids who tell me that they don't feel like they fit into their team: You keep being you. Your difference makes you great. Your uniqueness is an add, and it takes all types.”
Frances Tiafoe: US tennis star Frances Tiafoe, 25, was born in the US to immigrants from Sierra Leone. He got his start playing tennis when his father worked as head of maintenance at the Junior Tennis Champions Center, just outside Washington, DC. Tiafoe recounted his path to the 2024 Olympics, saying, “What a journey, man. Who would have ever thought a guy like me would be top ten in the world? It shows a kid having a chance and an opportunity and taking this seriously, what he can do. The sky’s the limit, man. Don’t let people project their fears on you. The American dream, anything can really get done. If you do it with grace, do it with the right humbleness, treat people the right way, be a good person, work hard, the world is your oyster. It’s a matter of being a little lucky and being at the right place the right time, but when the opportunity comes your way, grabbing it with two hands.”
Noah Lyles: Despite a long list of personal setbacks, 27-year-old sprinter Noah Lyles won gold by 0.005 seconds in the men's 100-meter sprint final at the 2024 Olympics. Following his impressive win, Lyles posted to X a powerful and inspirational message on how personal obstacles do not define you. "I have asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and depression," he wrote. "But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!" Lyles’ story reflects what the American Dream is all about. It is a reminder that with hard work and determination, anyone can overcome challenges and thrive.
Paul Juda: A fan favorite at the 2024 Olympics, gymnast Paul Juda won bronze and solidified his position among the top all-around gymnasts in the country. A first-generation American, Juda acknowledged that he is forever indebted to his parents. Immigrants from Poland, they channeled their son’s energy into the sport of gymnastics, never dreaming it would change the course of their lives forever. Juda has visited Poland and was even asked if he would ever consider representing Poland in the international arena. But he’s also gained perspective on what his parents gave up as well as their pride in the sacrifice, enshrined in memories like seeing his dad wear an old, beat-up shirt labeling him a “Proud American.”
“This is my heart and soul,” Juda told NBC Chicago. “This is my parents’ heart and soul. I’m most definitely American.”
For more inspiring Olympian stories: Check out these panels featuring Olympic and Paralympic athletes from the Milken Institute’s Global Conference, including Magic Johnson, Lindsey Vonn, Chris Paul, Janet Evans, Allyson Felix, Apolo Ohno, Sarah Reinertsen, Alex and Maia Shibutani, and more.
At the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, we recognize that education is the cornerstone of the American Dream, opening doors to possibility. In fact, “Education and Educator” is one of our four pillars and the cornerstone of much of our work. This month we honor another American for whom education was the cornerstone: businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. Born to German-Jewish immigrants in 1862, Rosenwald started at age 16 in the clothing business and went on to build his fortune as head of the retail behemoth, Sears, Roebuck & Company. Having become concerned with the state of education for African-American children, in 1917, he partnered with the educator and activist, Booker T. Washington to build schools in rural poor communities across the South, which became known as Rosenwald schools. Though Rosenwald died in 1932, the foundation he created continued the work, ultimately building nearly 5,000 schools for more than 700,000 Black students in 15 states. His work helped shape the educational and economic future of an entire generation of African-American families. As a testament to the impact of his work, we selected one of his historic schoolhouses as the location of our first major art commission at the MCAAD.
This month, in keeping with our back-to-school theme, we’re featuring a few moments with the artist Berndnaut Smilde at the Ridgeley Rosenwald School as part of our new Sneak Peek Series.
Smilde is a world-renowned Dutch artist perhaps best known for his Nimbus series, in which he uses chemistry, artistry, and a little bit of magic to create perfectly formed cumulus clouds floating improbably in serene interior spaces. Once created, the clouds last only a few seconds but are captured by the artist’s discerning eye and quick camera work. We were drawn to Smilde by the dreamlike quality of his work, and the symbolic alignment of clouds and dreams. It’s no accident that we say of daydreamers, “Your head is in the clouds.”
We have commissioned Smilde to create four original works, each photographed in a location that epitomizes one of our four pillars at MCAAD: education, health, finance, and entrepreneurship. To underscore the importance of access to a good education, we selected the Ridgeley Rosenwald School for his first piece. Built in 1927, it was the first school in Prince George’s County, MD, dedicated to educating Black children. Although the school closed in 1957, the building remains intact and is a gorgeous setting for Smilde’s cloud portraits. These will grace the walls of our monumental bank hall at 1501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW when finished.
The Milken Institute Inclusive Capitalism Program (ICAP) focuses on the importance of DEI across the business community.
