It was nice to see Lizzie Breznay’s smiling face on Tuesday’s front page as she participated in a Pennsylvania Day event at the CEO/Weinberg Food Bank. Breznay is America250PA’s ambassador, and was shown boxing food with her caretaker, Cassidy Graham.
The event itself earned warm praise on three counts.
First: Breznay joined two shifts of volunteers filling packages to be distributed throughout Luzerne, Lackawanna, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties. It’s part of what CEO does year-round, but this called special attention to both the needs of those struggling with food insecurity and the need for contributions and support of the food bank.
Second: The 2026 Pennsylvania Day theme was “Pennsylvanians Helping Pennsylvanians,” as in each of us doing whatever we can through acts of service and donations across the Commonwealth. In an era when social media algorithms and hyper-partisan pundits and politicians drive us into echo chambers of self-interest and intolerance, it’s essential to remember the real world relies on true community, on getting to know those around us, and in supporting those who are in need —often through no fault of their own.
Third: Pennsylvania deserves its own national day, even if (we suspect) most residents don’t know it exists, much less that it was celebrated July 20th. We were home to the Continental Congress that unified 13 disparate colonies. This is where the country’s two seminal documents — the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution — were written, approved and signed. And Penn’s Woods has a long list of firsts ever since the United States became a fact.
But we mention Breznay in particular because she has stood for years as a symbol of what can be done when determination meets technology and compassion.
In May of 2021, she gave what our newspaper headline dubbed “the speech of a lifetime” at the Luzerne County Community College commencement. Why? Breznay was a wheelchair-bound special needs student. More importantly, she was non-verbal.
Yet she took to the stage in the sprawling Mohegan Sun Arena and opened her very audible speech with “From the first day that I visited the campus, I knew that Luzerne County Community College was the perfect fit for my unique situation.”
Breznay used a Tobii Eye Gaze Communication device to do the talking for her. It had allowed her to compose a speech by tracking her eyes as she looked at the screen. Then, on stage, it translated the text into a female-sounding synthesized voice.
Seven years later, we have no doubt the tech has improved. With the rapid expansion of AI capabilities, that Tobii device is almost certainly quaint and likely obsolete.
But one part of Breznay’s speech remains as relevant now as then (and remember, she was speaking after a year of COVID-19 disruptions).
“We all know the world comes with many challenges. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Instead, look at each of your challenges as opportunities to develop and fine-tune your lifestyle, your wisdom, and your strength. Set reasonable goals for yourself and achieve as many as you can.
“Be open-minded but make your own decisions. Advocate for others who otherwise may not be as fortunate as you,” she said.
“Be generous, be courageous, be unique.”