Book Believer
2013
Meet Michelle Dennedy, a RIF kid that’s all grown up.
Growing up in the working-class neighborhood of Brook Park, Ohio, in the 1970s, Michele says she still remembers the RIF bookmobile. “It was the neighborhood ice cream truck,” said Michelle. “I was given The Velveteen Rabbit. I had never owned anything new before. When I held its fabric cover in my hands, I just thought this was the fanciest thing I had ever owned. The Velveteen Rabbit is my book.”
For Michelle, her RIF book became a theme for her life. “It talks about becoming real and believing in yourself. The Velveteen Rabbit actually becomes its dreams,” said Michelle. “It was a very powerful experience. Handing a book to a child is like handing them a journey—not just a toy.”
Michelle continued to believe in herself and worked hard to attend college. She attributes many of her undergraduate studies to discovering the scientific correlation to belief and transformation. “You become a different person when you believe in yourself,” said Michelle. “You can believe yourself into a better situation.”
Michelle went on to do just that. After going to law school at night, Michelle pursued a career as a patent litigator and is now the Vice President and Chief Privacy Officer at McAfee, Founder of The iDennedy Project and a proud parent.
“I still have my RIF book and my daughter now has it.” It seems incredible for a book to launch a life, but it happens every day as hungry, inquisitive young minds reach out and grab hold of the new people, places, and ideas that books bring them. That’s the passion behind RIF’s mission. Thank you for sharing your RIF story, Michelle. We believe!
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