Student Stories

November 2015

We’re excited to welcome two Starfinder alumni as Coach Across America volunteers for the 2015-16 program year! They have started the year recruiting high school students from across the Philadelphia area to the Senior Leaders Program, then they will serve as coaches and mentors to our Senior Leaders participants.

Luc Toussaint graduated from Starfinder in 2011. This spring he will graduate from West Chester University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Why did you decide to be a CAA?
I want to work with kids in the future as a teacher or counselor. This experience will give me a head start for my career. Also just for the chance to be at Starfinder again. Being here is just great!

What do you hope to accomplish this year as a CAA?
I want to serve as a role model for the Senior Leaders, to show them there are so many different paths they can go down in the future and to help them realize not everything is going to work out perfectly, and that’s ok. I want to be able to share my story to give them something to relate to.

What challenges do you think you will face during your year of service?
I’ve never worked with high school aged kids. I did work as a summer camp coach but that was with younger kids. I think it will be a balancing act to work with kids so close to my age but it’s good because I can relate to them.

Abdul Sule graduated from Starfinder in 2015. This fall he became a freshman at Bryn Athyn College.

Why did you decide to be a CAA?
Being a coach is a way for me to give back to Starfinder.

What do you hope to accomplish this year as a CAA?
I want to affect kids’ lives in a positive way. I want to be someone that the kids can look up to.

What challenges do you think you will face during your year of service?
The challenges will be in the beginning, as I’m a recent graduate of Starfinder. It’ll be getting everyone to respect me as a coach and setting those boundaries.

October 2014

Before he graduated from the Senior Leader Program in 2013, Ukrainian- born Mykola Lyakhovolsky used to take three buses from his high school in Northeast Philadelphia to get to Starfinder. Mykola, now 19 and a sophomore at Penn State Abington, recently joined the Starfinder staff for a year of service with Coach Across America. We asked him to reflect on his time at Starfinder.

What brought you in to Starfinder?

At first, it was just the chance to play soccer and because my friends were coming here. I realized after a while that Starfinder was a lot more than just soccer and I really liked the atmosphere.

What are you doing now?

I’m a sophomore at Penn State Abington studying criminal justice. At school I’m a member of THON, an organization that raises money for childhood cancer, and Vice President of the Criminal Justice Association.  I’m also a Coach Across America coach here at Starfinder. Right now I’m recruiting students to join the Starfinder program. When I go to schools and see kids excited about the program, I get really excited too.

Are you still playing soccer?

I play for Penn State Abington. I like playing center mid because I love dribbling and keeping control of the ball but sometimes they put me at left back.

What are some big things that changed after you graduated high school?

I realized I can’t mess around at college. In high school I treated everything like a joke and would mess around but now I have to take my college courses seriously. I also realized you get a lot more freedom at college, like you can leave in between classes, but you just have to manage time better.

Do you feel like the lessons you learned at Starfinder are helping you now?

My time at Starfinder really helped me to transition to college.  I learned to be outgoing to meet new people and build relationships. I’m now Vice President of a club at college because I have the confidence to speak up instead of sit in the shadows.

Do you have any advice for kids currently at Starfinder?

Starfinder is offering more opportunities and you should take advantage of all of them. Some kids don’t take it seriously enough. You never know your limits –be at your full potential whether it’s getting extra tutoring or pushing yourself during soccer drills.

March 2014

One of Starfinders’ earliest members, Nury Ortiz, returned as a coach after graduating in 2012. When Nury’s brother broke his ankle, she knew just want to do because of her soccer training. That feeling of confidence, the reward of helping someone else, and the joy she found in coaching at Starfinder inspired her to pursue a career she’ll love instead of just a job that pays the bills.

Today Nury’s doing a tour of duty with the National Guard while saving up to enroll in college to become a physical therapist.

In 2010, Nury and other Starfinder members represented the United States at the FIFA Word Cup’s 2010 Football for Hope Festival [link to Football for Hope information, wherever its going to live]. Nury returned to the 2014 Festival in Brazil, this time as a coach with Starfinder.

We caught up with Nury shortly before she left for Brazil in 2014. Here’s what she had to say.

When did you start playing soccer?

I started right after my brother started. I must have been seven or eight, and I went to Feltonville [Soccer Club]’s summer camp. My brothers play soccer. Our whole family plays soccer. So when I started, the whole family just molded everything around soccer. It was, get home then do your homework then soccer then bed.

What’s the best thing that happened to you at Starfinder?

Definitely the trip to South Africa. That was the closest I was ever going to get to playing in the World Cup. I felt like, as a soccer player, I achieved my dream. A lot of people never get to see the World Cup if they don’t have a lot of money. It was good for me. I developed confidence, and I was forced to speak in front of cameras, and in front of people, and it helped me get out of my shell. I was very shy growing up, and little by little I came out of it. Now I know when to lead and when to follow, and I’ve benefitted from the discipline soccer requires.

What do you plan on doing in the future?

Right now, I’m working to save money for college and waiting to go into the National Guard. My dream is to be a medic. Right now I’m an artillery specialist. I could become a sniper, too. For school, I’m going to major in physical therapy with a minor in athletic training at Millersville and West Chester. I’m excited about it. It’s what I want to do. Once, my little brother broke his ankle, and because I had been playing soccer, I knew exactly what to do. That’s when I knew I want to have a job where I get to help people. And being a coach at Starfinder, it’s not like my other jobs, where I’m looking at the clock waiting to go home. It’s fun. And now I want to find a job I really like.

How do you think the girls around you are experiencing soccer?

It’s a Colombian thing to play soccer, but a lot of girls don’t necessarily play. At one point, I was the only girl on the field at Feltonville. When I went to South Africa, I wanted to make a little Starfinder in Colombia for girls. You don’t see that many girls there playing soccer. You don’t see girls without their moms, because that’s what you do if you’re a girl. You grow up, you wash dishes, and you have kids. The girls that I’m coaching now, I just want them to know that all their goals are attainable, if they’re willing to put in the energy and the effort. Soccer Girls Rule [Starfinder’s former program for elementary and middle school girls] is trying to help these girls reach their next level.

What’s one thing you wish you’d known in high school?

I wish I’d spoken as much back then as I do now. If you don’t communicate what’s going on, nothing’s ever going to get fixed. Working here has given me a lot of perspective. It helps to understand why I would do certain things when I was younger. And as a coach, you want to keep in mind that everything you say and how you say it will affect the kid.

 Do you have any advice for kids currently at Starfinder?

Take advantage of it. I thought Starfinder was just a place to play soccer, but now I’m so thankful for it, after helping and seeing how hard the coaches work to put it together and improve it. I really hope the kids get something out of it. I appreciate that I am who I am because of this place. It’s a great thing to be a part of.

February 2015

Haitian-born Luc Toussaint was a member of Starfinder’s Class of 2011, graduating from Upper Darby High School before going on to West Chester University. He’s currently studying communications and philosophy, and wants to eventually work with kids, especially kids from outside the country, as a teacher or counselor.

Why did you start coming to Starfinder?

It was a place to play, especially when there was snow on the ground! I kept coming back because I had so much fun there. I noticed the cultural and racial diversities, and I really appreciated that. Everyone came together despite differences.

What’s one great memory of your time at Starfinder?

Playing against the coaches! We would be split into teams and the coaches would form their own team. We thought we could take them but the coaches were good! Nettie was quick with her feet and Nick and Herb had powerful shots – it was definitely old school teaching new school.

How are the lessons you learned at Starfinder helping you now?

One of the things the coaches always taught us is that sometime no matter how good you are, there may be opportunities that will pass you. And it’s OK as long as you keep moving and planning, and just do the best you can for next time. You’re going to fail sometimes. Just learn from it.

Do you have any advice for the kids currently at Starfinder?

Practice does make perfect, so keep going at it. Also make friends while you’re here, and be kind.

November 2013

Known to his friends as “Gogo,” Emmanuelle Kollie moved to Philadelphia from Liberia at the age of 13, and started playing soccer at Starfinder soon after. He graduated from Father Judge High School in 2010, and recently transferred into Syracuse University. He’s majoring in Child and Family Studies and wants to be a coach.

What brought you in to Starfinder?

One of my teammates told Tony Williams [Starfinder’s founder] about me, so I went to meet him, and he told me I was welcome to come play. And then, it was like I was living there. I went there every day to play and do my schoolwork. It was a really big deal. I had a lot of opportunity to get stuff done, and when I started thinking about college, I applied using their facilities.

What’s one great memory of something that happened while you were at Starfinder?

One of the best experiences I had there was getting to work with the younger group. The kids who were out there really looked up to you, so you had to be on your best behavior and be a role model. I really had to part with every negative activity I was doing, and all the negative company I was keeping, because I knew these kids were holding me as an example.

What positive effects has Starfinder had on your life?

Most kids, when they hit 16 or 17, they face a lot of peer pressure. I wasn’t a bad kid, but I lived in a bad neighborhood. But Starfinder wasn’t in the neighborhood, so I couldn’t get into any of the stuff that was going on near my house. If it wasn’t for Starfinder, I don’t know, something bad might have happened. But instead, I was playing every day after school and not getting back home until late.

Also, Tony Williams spoke to a guy at Father Judge about me, and I ended up getting in. He really opened the gateway for me there. Starfinder opened a lot of doors for me. And that’s what Starfinder is about- whatever help you need, in terms of soccer or education.

How is college different than high school?

It takes a lot of time management. It’s class, then homework, then meeting with a professor, then going to your activities, and finding time for all of it. I’ve had to work really hard to learn how to do this, and how not to procrastinate. But it’s a positive environment for me. I wanted to be here. I wanted to be able to focus on school and soccer.

Do you have any advice for kids currently at Starfinder?

A lot of kids go there mostly because they don’t want to be at home, but they really have a lot of opportunities at Starfinder, and they need to make the most of it. Every time I didn’t take advantage of an opportunity I had there, I regret.

May 2015

Ivory Coast-born Hamed Badini was a member of Starfinder’s Class of 2011. He attended Parkway Center City High School and joined Starfinder after meeting founder Tony Williams while playing with Fairmount Soccer Club’s U19 team. Currently Hamed works at a grocery store and is a driver for Uber, and he hopes to return to college soon. He still plays pick-up soccer every Saturday in Chester with friends.

How are the lessons you learned at Starfinder helping you now?

I learned self discipline. There was a huge emphasis on academics at Starfinder. If you couldn’t do the work in the classroom, you couldn’t play on the field. It used to frustrate me because all I wanted to do was play soccer, but I worked hard on the academics. Now I understand why it was important and that hard work has paid off.

What’s one great memory of your time at Starfinder?

Coach Blake was one of my favorite people at Starfinder. He was the best coach because he was both fun and strict at the same time. One day we were doing the drills and not taking them seriously, so he got angry and made us do sprints for a long time. A couple friends and I didn’t want to do sprints, so we hid behind the curtain. We didn’t think he knew we were hiding since there were so many kids running at the same time, but he did. The following week he made us run even more sprints. We never hid again.

Do you have any advice for kids currently at Starfinder?

The coaches taught me that all the little things can add up to a big success. The little drills you don’t feel like doing or don’t find important will pay off in the end. Today I take advantage of every opportunity no matter how small.

November 2012

Dodji is a senior at Holy Family University. He accomplished a great deal to get to this point, and he serves as a wonderful role model for all of Starfinder’s young participants.

Talk about a leadership opportunity that you had in college that Starfinder helped prepare you for.

I am currently one of the captains of the Holy Family University men’s soccer team. One thing we were taught at Starfinder is to work hard, be respectful, never take anything for granted and most importantly respect every person we come across.

Tell us about your favorite thing from your time at Starfinder.

I was part of Starfinder from 2007 to 2009. My favorite memories from Starfinder were meeting people from different cultures, backgrounds and learning from them, and also attending different soccer workshops.

How did Starfinder prepare you for college?

I believe that Starfinder helped me mature as a player and also as an individual to be able to progress in class and also on the soccer field.

Talk about the differences between your high school and college experiences.

College students pay for their classes whereas some high schools are free, so you wouldn’t expect college students to cut class. College students are expected to come to class having already studied the material, so that more information can be covered each semester than is possible in a typical high school setting.  College students are typically self-motivated and more able to take responsibility for their own learning.

What words of advice would you give for the kids in Starfinder program on getting prepared for college?

The first weeks of your first semester will be a whirlwind of activity. However, you have to be at your best to be socially involved as possible because you will need lots of help in college. One other thing is being organized. The last thing you want to do during the first weeks in college is scramble to get organized. Make a system of organization and stick to it. Also build a strong relationship with your academic advisor.

If there is one thing you wish you knew in high school you know now, what would it be?

Go to every class, take advantage of the extra help that teachers offer and also go to study halls.

February 2012

In a city with a high school graduation rate of only 58%, Rosy Henao’s aspirations go far beyond that statistic. Hailing from Philadelphia’s Olney section, where pathways to a positive future are ridden with drugs, crime and other deleterious behaviors, Rosy sets her sights on college. While waiting to receive college acceptance letters, Rosy is focusing her efforts on relieving the financial burden of college by applying for financial aid, grants and other scholarships. She expects to find out in March if her first choice, West Chester University, becomes a reality.

With classmates struggling to finish high school as young mothers and fathers, “education first” resonates as Rosy reflects on her involvement over the years with Starfinder. Working as a Starfinder Summer Intern in 2011 helped her realize the impact she can have on young kids. “I want to major in Business Management so I can create a soccer program (like Starfinder) for kids.” Rosy never saw herself as a role model until she learned that playing games like Duck, Duck, Goose, giving high fives, and demonstrating her soccer ball skills brought smiles to young faces and created a connection with the aspiring soccer players in her neighborhood.

Rosy is blessed to have a great role model in her own home – her Mom! Each morning at 4:30, Rosy’s Mom rises to do household chores and make preparations for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and then heads off to her full time job. Rosy marvels at her Mom’s energy and dedication and is inspired by her parents whose devotion and love encourages her to do the best she can in all her endeavors.

Rosy enjoys Tyler Perry movies because the content is related to real life situations that are presented through a humorous story with a moral. Always the fashionista, Rosy draws confidence and strength from the maxim, “To be yourself is to be different.” Starfinder is lucky and privileged to be Rosy’s home away from home.