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Help us empower and inspire students across the country!

Help us to raise money for school presentations to educate students about destructive behaviors and to empower and inspire them to become their best self!

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Help us empower and inspire students across the country!

Help us empower and inspire students across the country!

Help us empower and inspire students across the country!

Help us empower and inspire students across the country!

Help us empower and inspire students across the country!

Help us to raise money for school presentations to educate students about destructive behaviors and to empower and inspire them to become their best self!

Help us to raise money for school presentations to educate students about destructive behaviors and to empower and inspire them to become their best self!

Help us to raise money for school presentations to educate students about destructive behaviors and to empower and inspire them to become their best self!

Help us to raise money for school presentations to educate students about destructive behaviors and to empower and inspire them to become their best self!

Super Star
Super Star
Super Star
Super Star
2 Campaigns |
Chicago, United States
$265 USD 8 backers
0% of $50,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Highlights
Mountain Filled 2 Projects Mountain Filled 2 Projects

INTRODUCTION

I would like to introduce myself and to invite you to learn more about our school assembly and community events for middle and high school students.

My name is Super Star. Yes that is true! And as you might guess, the first question I always get is, Why did you change your name?

I legally changed my name to create an opportunity for a talking piece to connect with teens in a way where they would be open to hearing my message about destructive behaviors such as substance use disorder, bullying, self-mutilation.  I also changed it to inspire dream catching which is exactly what I do during my Nationally Recognized School Assembly program. And yes, it’s working!

There is a process involved to legally change your name. There are forms that need to be completed followed by an appearance in front of a Judge to state your reason for wanting to change your name. I can recall walking into the court room in Santa Monica, California to ask the Judge permission for my name change. He responded to my request with the all too frequent question, why did I want the name Super Star? I replied to him, because I want to help others feel empowered to overcome any obstacles they might face each day. After a moment, a grin appeared on his face and he looked at me and said I’ll accept that, Super Star. So there I was with a new name. As all those in the court room started to applaud and I couldn’t help but think it was my time to pay it forward. It was now my time to inspire change not just within myself but also with others.

After three stints in rehab and years of leaving nothing but disaster, overdoses and heartbreak in my wake, I had an epiphany. I decided to pick up the pieces from my trail of devastation and use the tools I learned to climb out of the darkness of addiction. Today, I am who I have always wanted to be and my intent is clear -- to serve as a model that life is worth living.  This is what I successfully convey during my school assembly programs.

The struggle with drugs crossing our borders onto our streets, in our schools or homes and moving into the hands of our young people along with the misuse of alcohol would not be so prevalent if we would initiate more discussions at our kitchen tables or our rec centers or in the hallways at school or church and more.  These crucial conversations need to take place encouraging open communication and responsible role modeling from adults to teens.  Encouraging and initiating these dialogues are the sole reason I changed my name to Super Star. And I have seen it over and over again

Behaviors including bullying, drug use, not taking care of our bodies, self-mutilation and others are often a result of not feeling connected. My mission with this campaign is to rebuild a sense of connection especially between teens and adults during my school assemblies and free community events.

I have witnessed the dots connecting for many teens, parents and community leaders by sharing my message; opening up the doors to types of crucial conversations. The more we as adults can engage in conversations with teens the more likely it will enhance protective factors (individual or environmental characteristics, conditions, or behaviors) with our youth and that can ultimately decrease the risk for destructive behaviors.

Schools are faced with community and school prevention programs being cut because of funding.  Teens that are at risk for destructive behaviors are the ones paying the price.   It’s our responsibility as adults to rally together so that ALL teens know that obstacles are truly opportunities in disguise and that most importantly there is HOPE to create the life they desire!

That’s the foundation of our middle and high school assembly programs and free community events. Help me bring my message to thousands more students and their families because they are worth it!

So the next time you hear the name Super Star, remember this message isn’t about me. It’s about how each person has a super star within them and how we have a responsibility to connect with teens to help them see their value, their worth, their greatness. I learned about self-worth the hard way and almost lost my life during the process.  So don’t you think it’s worth it to make a difference in the life of a teen by showing them a path other than darkness? That is what your contribution will assist in doing by securing additional funding for this campaign to get into more schools across the United States.

Thank you for allowing me the time to introduce myself, share information on my school assemblies and the intent behind my work.

Wishing you Serenity,

Super Star

Always love, always encourage, and never let despair get in the way.

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP!

You are the hope for our kid’s futures!

CNNmoney.com reported on February 2, 2011 that NYS is in a budget crisis! Governor Cuomo has announced that funding to New York’s schools would get slashed under a $132.9 billion budget cut and proposed reduction. While I appreciate the position that Gov. Cuomo is in and know that some drastic measures have to occur to improve the financial picture of New York, this news has school administrators in NYS in a tizzy trying to figure out how they will provide an education to their students with even less money. And that is quite a predicament! But it’s not just NYS that is faced with this challenge. These budget cuts have had an impact on all 50 states! That’s a lot of school impacted and even a lot more students!  Some school administrators are indicating that budget cuts will involve eliminating extracurricular programs including sports and music programs, cutting specialized academic programs like band and chorus, reducing staff and cutting funding for specialized resources including prevention funding.

While this is a challenging situation for schools to balance their budget and provide an education for our students, this will most definitely have an impact in other ways on the students. Cutting the very programs that hold kids interest like sports, music and other clubs will potentially bring even more down time to kids. And we know what kids do with down time; some will turn to even less productive things to engage in. There will be families that will have the financial resources to take advantage of private extracurricular programs but what about the families that can’t afford paying money to have their kids be involved in activities?  We know how kids today have the need for stimulation and are easily bored. I am curious to see how this all plays out and how it will ultimately impact the kids in our communities.

Drugfree.org posted on January 12, 2011 an article titled, Survey: Exposure to Anti-Drug Messages among Teens Drops Dramatically by Two-Thirds as Drug Use Goes Up. This report indicates that drug use among teens has risen as reported in the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study in 2010. Reports are showing that decreasing the anti-drug messages has been followed by an increase in drug use. With the messages decreasing there is the likelihood that kids are getting the wrong message; that maybe using drugs isn’t so bad. The slashing of funds and lack of support, coupled with the discussion of further cuts for effective prevention programs, is going to have a direct impact on the 35 million American families with children at risk of abusing drugs or alcohol. That’s a startling revelation!

I have had conversations with some local teens that have expressed concern with the cutbacks that may occur in their high schools and they are worried about what their future will be. They have expressed increased lack of hope for being able to pursue the “American dream.” If we take away the extracurricular programs for kids; the very programs that encourage kids to get involved and find out what they enjoy, it will be even more disheartening for their outlook on their future. It seems that young adults as well are feeling more and more a sense of hopelessness with their future.

This is a tougher time to be teenager today as compared to when we were teens. I believe this is a time that will require all of us to think outside of the box and start to see things differently by taking responsibility for our own futures, our own happiness and fulfillment, which is how I think it should be.

We as adults have a responsibility to provide safety, hope and faith to the young people in our communities, to take this dire situation and bring hope back to our kids and their futures. I am committed to getting creative so our message can reach as many young people as we can!

HOW WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Through my commitment geared toward anti-substance abuse campaigning and encouraging others to overcome obstacles with a creative boldness and live with purpose just as I have, last year I was able to appear at schools and community events comprising of more than 45,000 people!  As you can imagine there is a lot of work and effort involved and I certainly didn’t do it without the help from others. Hiring staff, covering travel expenses and the associated production costs related to carrying my message to schools and communities across the US cost money. I wish there was another alternative but there just isn’t. Currently for each school that I have the opportunity to present at I offer a FREE community event during the evening. These community events are held in conjunction with all of my assemblies. No matter what school I have spoken at, I find students returning with their parent(s) or adult influences to hear the message again! I have received consistent feedback from prevention specialists, school administrators and parents about the positive impact from these community presentations.  It’s important to offer them for no additional charge so that everyone can have an opportunity to get involved.  These have become a great door opener to start or strengthen a conversation with a teen! These came from a demand from the students and are the highlight of my visits to various communities. That is why our organization is asking for $50,000 for the 2013/2014 school year. A $50,000 contribution as a whole will help us work with up to 25 additional schools. Many of these schools have already been identified as wanting our programming but are having trouble securing the financial means to host them.  These funds could guarantee that 1000s of students will be exposed to crucial conversations this coming fall. Each dollar will go towards covering the expenses such as lodging, transportation, wages, equipment costs and other such expenses needed to be covered in order to have a successful presentation for each school and community in which we visit.

If we do not reach our goal of $50,000, we will apply any funds raised and offer our services to as many schools as we can and stretch every dollar, just as we do now so that lack of funding isn’t a barrier to us bringing our message of hope and the redemption that is found when living a life of responsibility.

THE IMPACT

YOU get the reward of knowing that you helped make a difference in the lives of teens throughout the country. Faces that you will never see but undoubtedly will play a role in making the future as bright as it can be for all mankind for generations to come. You get the benefit of knowing that you helped influence and inspire a student to overcome whatever challenges they may be facing.  Teens have contacted me months after I’ve visited their school sharing that bullying has decreased in their school, that they stopped using drugs or drinking alcohol, that they talked with a parent and encouraged their parent to get help for their drug problem, that they have let go of an abusive relationship, that they are now taking steps to realize a dream they have had.  For me, having an opportunity to have that much of impact with a teen is just priceless.

Proof is in the pudding!

I have established relationships with some of the most respected organizations in the field of Addiction and Prevention including: – National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) – The Grammy Foundation Music Cares – The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – Renew Magazine – Partnership for a Drug Free America (Drugfree.org) – National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) – The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) – National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse – Recovery Today. There is a lot of merit with establishing these relationships and alone should stand as a significant sense of proof to our programming.

TESTIMONIALS

I think Super Star’s message is one people in my generation can understand. I also think the video with the memories of others helped. The fact he knew that the majority of my generation would blow off the entire thing helped some kids get that we should listen.”

Outstanding! Message was terrific and even the special needs students understood the impact. Love the fact that Super Star was very honest and showed emotion, his tears were real and you can’t fake that! Kids know people who are phony.” (Prevention Specialist)

“The interactive dance piece by the students I rated a number 1! It is imperative to gain the student’s participation and engage with them prior to the formal assembly. This gives the students a feeling of approval and ownership of the assembly. The video tribute is not only well done, it gives the extension of Super Star’s testimony as if he is speaking for them, as well as himself. I score this presentation as excellent. Super Star’s energy and enthusiasm filled the auditorium. The various sections of the assembly are timed to perfection. He held and regained their attention with every transition.” (STOP DWI Education Coordinator)

Theme and story was excellent. Serenity video – these pics offered the personal connections to what was lost through Super Star’s years of abuse. Video tribute – Always a great idea to show faces of reality to the issue. The one-on-one question/answer session truly inspired the audience to do real thinking about themselves, their goals and their future.” (Community Prevention Coordinator)

We are already seeing positive results from yesterday’s presentation. Super Star, you are making such a huge impact in the lives of people who you touch. You have been given a great gift…the power and courage to share your life story. Please don’t ever stop doing what you are doing because it is working. Thank you!” (Special Education Teacher)

I highly recommend this presentation for high school students. The discussion about how personal dreams can be destroyed by experimenting with substances and how easy it can be to become addicted is a very important message. There are many students who think “this could never happen to me” and the stories that were shared proves this incorrect.” (BOCES Educational Specialist)

Many kids said that they are no longer alone. They know there are people who understand them. One of my students shared that one of her parents is addicted to alcohol and she was shocked to learn that she was not alone.” (Middle School Teacher)

From the moment he walked on stage and said, “My name is Super Star. Yes, it’s true. It says so on my driver’s license,” Super Star had the audience captivated. This simple introduction grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. All eyes were focused on him and unbeknownst to those in the audience, their lives would never be the same after this assembly.” (Special Education Teacher)

We had lots of students who enjoyed the program that Super Star presented. It was worthwhile!” (High School Principal)

It amazes me how much momentum this presentation already has, for both kids and staff, and you guys haven’t even come here yet!!”(Middle School English Teacher who incorporated Super Star curriculum in her English class prior to the assembly presentation)

I thought the entire assembly was beneficial. I really liked the video tribute to youth; it raised some eyebrows! Also, I heard many comments about the kid who died from energy drinks. Super Star’s message to students on “self-love” was inspiring” (Middle School Health Teacher)

I remember when I was 12 just last year oh and 2 months ago, I remember thinking my brother who is 17 now was the coolest person on earth. I thought it was awesome that he smoked pot, drank, smoke, snort I thought that was so cool, I was proud to be the little sister of someone who has all his guy friends over and get drunk friends that are 14 to 21. I thought he was my hero… Until you came to my school. That day you came I lost a hero I lost the closet person to me. I cried that whole speech because the things you said scared me. Who wants someone they love to die? I wanted to say my thanks to you because what you are doing is an amazing thing.. Thank you for helping me see that what my brother does isn’t cool its the exact opposite. If it wasn’t for you by the time I’m 16 I would probably be doing the same stuff he does. If you can or have the time can you help pray for him tonight… thank you!”

I think Super Star’s message is one people in my generation can understand. I also think the video with the memories of others helped. The fact he knew that the majority of my generation would blow off the entire thing helped some kids get that we should listen.”

You were so inspirational today. you are amazing. it was the best school assembly i ever had! you grabbed my attention right from the start. you cleared up the message for me to never use drugs or alcohol ! I’m so glad you came today the best with your project i am now a huge fan!”

I’m really trying to keep what you had to say yesterday in mind. I’m currently trying to deal with one of the topics you talked about. Bullying. I talked to one of the high schoolers and she gave me advice on what to do and how to deal with it.”

Super Star is different from the other speakers that come to school to talk about sobriety. He had actually been an addict. He knew what he was talking about. They didn’t learn through lessons, school or books, though. He lived through it all. My father had been an addict, and for all he was worth I don’t think he could stop. He still regrets everything today and now he knows but he ignored the speakers at school too!”

I’m a senior in high school. The assembly today was absolutely amazing! I personally have been affected by drugs and alcohol. My mother is an alcoholic. She has been ever since I can remember. I moved out of my house 3 years ago and I’ve been living with my aunt because I could not handle being with her anymore and the abuse that came with her drinking. What you said today was very inspiring. Even though I love her and always will because she is my mom, I sometimes need some encouragement to stay strong. What you said today really made me think about my life and the choices I make. It also helped with some of the emotions I have towards my mother. I hope you continue what your doing, always and forever.”

I learned a lot from what you said and how you said that drugs will break you away from your family. My older brother did drugs for about 7 years or more and you guys were right how family just seems to slip away when that kind of stuff happens. He’s been clean for about 5 years and thanks to you guys I went home and told him all about your stories and life struggles you guys had to face. Super Star thank you so much for sharing your story with us.”

I went to the evening presentation with my daughter (her request) after she attended the afternoon presentation at her school. I was so impressed and excited that programs like this are offered to our children. I know that it made an impact on my daughter. She purchased a shirt that evening and wears it and I purchased the book, which she read quickly. Thank you so much for all the inspiration provided to the children and families.”

Thank you so much for all that you do. Your recent visit has already made a difference for a student at my kids’ school. For my kids to be a part and involved in the presentation and for them to see that it has made a difference…..I don’t know how you put a price on that!”

Thank you for the presentation regarding the drug and alcohol last night. My daughter was there from the beginning of it. I came at the end during the question and answer session. I was only there about 10 minutes and I had to leave – it was very difficult for me to listen to since we have been very affected by alcohol abuse. I’m so proud of my daughter to sit thru the entire presentation even though it was so very difficult for her. I want to Thank You for having this at the school – it’s so important to stop addiction before it starts. We had a long discussion after – we just drove around and talked and cried. Thank you again!”

Thank you for bringing the ROCKSTAR SUPERSTAR PROJECT to my kids’ school. It’s such an important message to get out to teens that think nothing will ever happen to them or just once won’t hurt anything. What a blessing that you are putting such a hard time in your life out there to help others. I hope you can go to many high schools and colleges with your project. God Bless.”

Thank you so much for bringing Super Star and his program to our school. Can’t even begin to tell you how powerful his message was. How it struck home and opened my eyes to many things. I am now looking at things a bit differently and still digesting his message. Can’t wait to read the book, listen to the music and proudly wear my shirt. Just a totally awesome evening!!!”

Other Ways You Can Help!

Some people aren’t in a position to contribute, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help:

  • Ask folks to get the word out and make some noise about this campaign.
  • Remind them to use the Indiegogo share tools!

So what do you think? CAN you help us make this happen? Can you help us reach deep into the lives of teens everywhere and support them in developing the confidence to not only overcome and steer clear from destructive thoughts and decisions but to encourage and inspire them to reach deep in their back pocket to take a look at their hopes and dreams.

We’ve all had dreams in our lives, however some of us have let our own negative thoughts get in the way; let’s not encourage our teens to bury their dreams.

Wouldn’t you like to provide the opportunity for a teen to experience hope for a better life? You know what I’m talking about. We can give all the material things we can to our children but the best gift of all is self-love and the belief that each one is a valuable human being!

Together we can make a difference and together we will!

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Choose your Perk

Every Penny Counts

$10 USD
$10.00 will get a personal email from Super Star himself! Heck I'll even send you two!
1 claimed

Every Teen Counts

$25 USD
Will get a personal email from Super Star and a Serenity silicone bracelet! These are the same Serenity bracelets sold at our ROCKSTAR SUPERSTAR PROJECT concerts. A silicone reminder of how beautiful you are!
1 claimed

Every Teen Is Worth It

$50 USD
Will get a personal email from Super Star and a Serenity silicone bracelet as well as an autographed Super Star poster! Hey these actually sell very well during our community events!
1 claimed

Together We Can

$100 USD
Will get a personal phone call from Super Star and a Serenity bracelet and autographed poster! AND not just a quick hello, we can chat for as long as you want!
1 claimed

Together We Will

$250 USD
Will get a personal phone call from Super Star, an autographed poster and ROCKSTAR SUPERSTAR PROJECT Serenity CD featuring members from such bands as Kiss, Heart, Goo Goo Dolls and more! It’s a great CD, I happen to know the guy that wrote all the words!
0 claimed

Sincerest Thanks

$500 USD
Will get a personal phone call from Super Star, a Serenity bracelet, an autographed poster, an autographed copy of “THE First 30 Days to Serenity: The Essential Guide to Staying Sober”, and an autographed ROCKSTAR SUPERSTAR PROJECT CD, featuring members from bands such as Kiss, Heart, Goo Goo Dolls, and more! All great stuff and all of it yours for helping us help others.
0 claimed

OK I Am Crying, Really?

$1,000 USD
This will get you everything that a $500.00 contribution gets plus an acknowledgement of you name and/or business at a school assembly and a public thank you on the official Super Star website!
0 claimed
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