My Dad always told me not to burn bridges until you had a new one.  Somehow over the years I hear myself telling my daughter, Caroline, about the importance of building bridges - bridges of connection.  These bridges lead to great friendships, provide challenges and leadership opportunities, and ultimately, meaningful life experiences.  For Caroline, MassSTAR was and is a phenomenal bridge!

Through MassSTAR, our daughter had the opportunity to network with other outstanding MA youth at the local level and to continue her growth after the 2001 conference by attending Alumni Association meetings in Boston.  We will never forget the meeting after 9-11: we were uncomfortable with her traveling to Boston, yet knew how much the monthly meetings energized her and facilitated her community involvement and academic motivation.  We traveled with her to Boston that day.  It was worth putting in the extra time because it was so clear to us what she gained from the program.    
We were always willing to ask the question – what can we do to help you with this project!?

MassSTAR provided the foundation that motivated our daughter to work hard in high school and college  After the conference in 2001, she signed up for the National Congressional Award program and began chipping away at the 800 hour minimum, in the areas of personal development, community service, fitness, and exploration needed to reach her goal of the Gold Medal.  In 2008, she reached that goal.   I believe that MassSTAR sparked the fire that motivated her to want to accomplish such an undertaking – and the support of the MassSTAR alumni network that fueled her perseverance throughout her high school and college years.  

MassSTAR confirmed many of our daughter’s strengths, but more importantly opened her eyes to ways she could channel those strengths and energies into effective leadership and concrete social change.  The spirit of service and respect for individual differences instilled in her through MassSTAR continue as she maintains dedicated involvement in the organization. I believe that these values also serve as the basis of her career interests in global health justice.  

As we age, we better appreciate our connections.  In reminiscing about the past 8 years of our daughter’s life, it’s clear that her MassSTAR connections have opened up many doors and spurred life-long friendships.  In the words of Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see.”  MassSTAR students are right on it!

Carol and Fred Mailloux
Proud parents of Caroline – ‘01

Dear Current and Future MassSTAR Parents,

My name is Lisa Pelosi and my son Richard is a 2007 alumni of the MassSTAR Youth Leadership Program. It was just a month ago that our sons and daughters came together as both alumni and 2008 delegates. Their "enthusiasm" was so pervasive that it was contagious. As I sat in the audience listening to the speakers and reading through the program, I learned what my son had been doing all weekend. It was there that I really got it! I left the closing ceremonies with a feeling of pride and a new appreciation for MassSTAR. The drive home was full of stories, laughter, and fond memories. I found myself excited for next year in which I hope to play a more significant role.

Our students were nominated because of their potential to become leaders and advocates both locally and globally. We as parents have the overwhelming task of raising our children to be thoughtful, caring and compassionate human beings. Since my son has become involved with MassSTAR he has met many amazing people. Like him, they were nominated in their sophomore year and have continued to stay involved with the program. These dedicated and devoted individuals are remarkable role models for our sons and daughters for which I am grateful. I believe that MassSTAR has made a significant impact on my son’s self-confidence and ability to take leadership in his community and getting involved in issues that are important to him. Through MassSTAR he realized that he could make a difference in his school, neighborhood and global community. As a parent, this is all I could ever want.

Today Richard continues to attend regular MassSTAR meetings and maintains contact with his new friends. What makes this group so special is their diversity. They come from many different communities and various backgrounds representing all social and economic strata. It is of no difference if they are White, Asian, African-American, Mexican, Italian, Irish, Catholic or Jewish. They all have one thing in common; a dedication to becoming active citizens in their communities and encouraging others to do the same.

MassSTAR is an outstanding program. It is committed to empowering our students with the tools and the knowledge they need to be successful. MassSTAR raises awareness about issues that surround us and promotes healthy leadership skills in a positive and productive environment. But they also need our support. Please encourage your sons and daughters to stay involved with MassSTAR. Together they will learn, grow and share experiences that can only result in a better world. They hold the key to our future and our world is in their hands.

Remember, “to be enthusiastic you must act enthusiastic, to act enthusiastic you must be enthusiastic. Oh boy! Are we enthusiastic”!

MassSTAR is a wonderful experience for every high school student and it made a wonderful impact on my daughter's life. It has shown her that making a difference in a person's life is special whether it's small or large. My daughter was a very shy girl before MassSTAR, and now she has blossomed into a very outgoing young lady. The conference made her more aware of life itself. She learned to educate herself from others, to always give back to the community and to always lead herself and others in a positive way.

My daughter is currently very involved and is the president of the alumni association. With her involvement in the alumni association, she has learned to be more open minded with different ideas and to appreciate how much others care about community service, just as she does. I recommend this program to every high school student because this program will change their life immediately.  MassSTAR is an amazing leadership program that she made a huge difference in Nicole's life and I know she will always be part of this family forever.

Khambay Sanethong, P '07

 My name is Karen Coppola, Mom of 2007 MassSTAR alum Nicholas Valentini. Nicholas is a three year veteran of MassSTAR having been chosen to represent Georgetown Middle High School at the MassStar conferences in 2006/2007 as a sophomore. Nicholas never lacked the motivation to get involved, but MassSTAR instilled confidence and empowered him to reach beyond his school and community to make a difference. His enthusiasm and desire to help others is contagious. He has become the "go to" person at GMHS for all service related projects...from his peers and faculty alike.

    At the conclusion of his first MassSTAR conference, Nicholas expressed a desire to stay involved with the organization and  is the current treasurer of the alumni association and served on staff for the 2008 conference.

    I would strongly encourage all students across Massachusetts to attend a MassSTAR conference and experience the enthusiasm and vibrancy of a MassSTAR event. The" immersion" approach of the conference will engage any student and they will emerge as proactive leaders. I am confident that they will come away rejuvenated with ideas for service in their communities. Each and everyone CAN make a difference.

I can vividly remember the Friday morning drive to Lasell College to drop my daughter off at the MassSTAR conference. Because Casey is a shy individual who has anxiety about entering new situations, we spent the drive processing the upcoming MassSTAR weekend experience. Spending a weekend with sophomore students across the Commonwealth in a strange setting would be a challenge for her, but it was my hope that she would take advantage of this opportunity to grow as a person, student, and leader. I can still remember arriving at the conference and sitting in the car with her for an extended period of time to help her build up enough courage to get out of the car. When a MassSTAR staff member noticed us, came over to the car to greet Casey and encouraged her to join the other students, I knew Casey was in good hands!

As a father, I was elated that Casey was chosen to represent her high school at the conference. Her principal suspected that this conference would provide Casey with the confidence she needed to be comfortable using the leadership qualities she possessed. As an educational leader, I was familiar with MassSTAR and understood that this conference would be a wonderful opportunity for my daughter to develop social awareness and leadership skills. However, I was not fully aware of the positive impact this three-day event would have on Casey both as a person and as an active participant in her high school community.

My wife and I arrived for the parent day on Sunday. We listened to the MassSTAR staff and alumni share the student experiences of the event and we wondered if these positive experiences were shared by Casey. When her group entered the room chanting and we watched her interact over the next two hours, we were amazed with both the confidence she had gained and the ease at which she interacted with staff and students. On our drive home, she talked continuously about her experience and how she would use the tools provided to make positive change in her community and school, which was one of MassSTAR’s goals.

The past year has resulted in a major transformation for Casey, both as a person and as a leader. She has learned that the MassSTAR experience gave her the necessary tools to be a leader and the courage to use these tools in her school community. As a junior at her high school, Casey has blossomed. She is an active member of the Student Council, serves on a school-wide committee, Students Taking Action, that focuses on school and community issues and creative ways to solve them, and she has become a facilitator for the Leadership Summit, which is an annual event held at her high school. Most importantly, Casey has remained active with MassSTAR, participating in events through out the year, including the opportunity to serve as a junior staff member at this year’s conference. Without a doubt, her affiliation with MassSTAR and The Massachusetts Youth Leadership Foundation has had a profound impact on Casey’s school experience. The skills she gained through this experience will serve her well beyond her high school years.

Micaela's participation in this year's MassStar Conference was one of her best life experiences to date! 

In the car ride home, she could not stop talking about the new friends she made, her group facilitator and staff, and the quality of experiences that she engaged in over three days!  She's already shared many of the ideas at her high school that she took from the conference, and she is intent on being a good disciple of MassStar by spreading the same kind of energy and enthusiasm she found at the conference to her school and greater community. 

Micaela cannot wait to attend her first reunion meeting as a Massstar alumnus, and would absolutely love to return to the conference as a volunteer staffer!