[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9543]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO NICHOLAS MAXIM

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, Mahatma Gandhi once said, ``Strength 
does not come from physical capacity, it comes from an indomitable 
will.'' Today, I recognize and pay tribute to Nicholas Maxim, an 
extraordinary young man from Readfield, ME, and the living embodiment 
of Gandhi's words. Nicholas, a fifth grade student at Readfield 
Elementary School, was recently presented with a national award for his 
outstanding penmanship. He earned the award when, unbeknownst to him, 
his principal submitted a sample of his handwriting to Zaner-Bloser, an 
Ohio-based company that holds an annual handwriting contest.
  While this national honor would, in and of itself, merit the high 
praise and recognition of this esteemed institution, this 
accomplishment is even more compelling and impressive when one 
considers that Nicholas was born without lower arms or hands. His 
writing sample, which stood out among the estimated 200,000 entries, 
was executed by balancing the writing utensil between his two upper 
arms--the manner in which he routinely writes, given that he rarely 
uses his prosthetic devices for such purposes.
  Nicholas' sample was so outstanding, and his story so compelling and 
inspirational, that Zaner-Bloser created a new award category in his 
honor--the ``Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellent Penmanship.'' 
Fittingly, Nicholas was the first recipient of this special award 
earlier this year. His story caught the attention of many of the 
national media outlets but, despite all the attention and accolades, 
Nicholas retained his humility and unassuming style. Preferring to stay 
out of the limelight and seemingly content to allow others to talk 
about his myriad accomplishments, Nicholas represents Maine and our 
Nation with unwavering modesty that speaks volumes about his character 
and personality.
  During my congressional career, I have often spoken about the primacy 
of maintaining one's values and integrity, setting high expectations 
and goals, and believing in one's self. I further contend that there 
are certain constants that are timeless, and one of them is that the 
greatest limits that will be placed on our lives are the ones which we 
place upon ourselves. A courageous and persistent young man, Nicholas 
is truly an inspiration to us all, as he has never allowed his 
circumstances to limit what he can achieve. As a testament to this 
fact, one of Nicholas' favorite pastimes is writing and drawing comic 
strips. Delightful and humble, Nicholas innately possesses an 
unconquerable resolve that is hidden beneath an unpretentious exterior. 
His sister captured the essence of these character traits when, to the 
Kennebec Journal, she said about him, ``He is who he is and does what 
he does not to get attention . . . It's for me to see him being who he 
is that's an inspiration.''
  Undeniably, Nicholas Maxim stands as a shining testament to the power 
of the human spirit. I offer my heartfelt congratulations to him for 
demonstrating to children and adults alike, across the State of Maine 
and, indeed, our Nation, that by placing no restrictions on your 
horizons, you broaden the range of possibilities that exist for you and 
the trajectory you envision for yourself.

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