October 22, 2024

The benefits of our new Rising Stars Program are already significantly impacting our students, instilling hope and optimism. Two of them have stories they would like us to share about how they learned to overcome challenges and successfully shine on stage and off.

Maria*, who participated in our Burrowes Elementary After-School spring program, often got emotional and had difficulty collecting herself and re-engaging with the task at hand. Let’s be honest. We all have moments of frustration and can lose our cool!  As with all our Rising Stars students, we set positive goals for her to focus on, such as being a helper, retelling the teacher’s directions, or showing kindness by putting others first. 

As she achieved her goals, Maria’s growth was evident. She gained confidence and her ability to focus. She diligently attended her private music lessons and loved the one-on-one time with an adult, which all the students crave. The social-emotional classes allowed her and the others to learn more about their emotions and how to respond well to challenges. Over time, the group music lessons would be where other students encouraged Maria to join because they valued her as a strong singer. 

At summer camp, we noticed that when she got emotional, Maria would take a moment, breathe through it, and then refocus herself. She shared, “I learned to ask the teacher for a break or to try it myself when I am having a hard time. I can also share it with the counselors.” Maria successfully overcame those challenges, which allowed her to have more on-task moments and shine brighter. The camp staff described her as passionate and resilient, a testament to her growth and determination.

Robbie* joined SWAN for the first time for our five-week summer camp. Full of energy and very smart, he loved his private music lessons and art classes. We noticed a challenge for him was acknowledging his actions. Something as simple as directing him to say. “Sorry”  for bumping into someone would cause him to deny it happened and then shut down. He also struggled with self-control by the end of the day. 

Though Robbie shut down at times or would lose control, we had counselors ready to help him work through those struggles, giving him the needed break and, in particular, the one-on-one attention. Our classroom assistants and mental health professionals gave him the support he needed to be in class and have a successful learning experience. Our camp staff called him a leader because he learned and improved quickly and did not hesitate to help his peers. Robbie was easy to spot on stage because his face lit up joyfully, and his smile was contagious.  He said, “Thank you for letting us have camp. I love this camp! We get to make art, sing, and use instruments.”

* Student names have been changed to ensure their privacy