From what many divers would perceive as the “ultimate deep dive”, Ronald Crawford (now 21 years old in January) has surfaced after 4 years to reflect upon the value of his S.T.A.R.S. training.  Ronald, a very noteworthy 2008 S.T.A.R.S. graduate, was recently adopted by a loving family from Elgin, IL and is now both attending Waubonsee Community College and employed with Automated Professional Marketing, Inc. as a successful Telemarketer.  During an interview he requested with me to develop a college presentation on March 10^th, Ronald elaborated on how much the S.T.A.R.S program changed and matured him into the man he is today.  He rattled off list of S.T.A.R.S. staff members that he still holds dear to his heart who mentored him through his darkest days.  He has turned into the man that we all dreamed he would become, using his premier “Ronald smile”, his love for talking on the phone, and his gift of gab to make a living.  Ronald expressed his serious desire to become a PADI Divemaster in 2012, and his wish to return to the program as a staff member, potentially focused on past graduate retention and activities.  I hope for his sake that we can fulfill that dream and keep S.T.A.R.S. alive to see his future contributions!  Ronald is yet another true success story for the program.  Good luck my friend, we love ya man!

Surfing was an experience that really got my heart racing!   To try-out surfing for the first time was more exciting than scary.  In comparison to scuba diving, the wetsuit feels the same, but just a little bit less restrictive.  The water temperature in the Pacific Ocean was a chilly 70 degrees or less.  However, due to all of the excitement it didn’t really detract from the experience.  The first 10 waves took me totally by surprise and soon I was exhausted from letting the waves get the better of me.  Soon I decided to observe other surfers a little bit more to see how they were mounting their boards in the challenging waves.  After watching for a few more minutes I decided to try again, and this time I got up right away.  The trick I found was to be able to get on my knees for a few seconds then stand up on the board which took me 3-4 attempts.  During the minutes of each run standing on the surf board made me feel like I could really walk on water.  Although it was a really difficult it was neat experience and something I would totally do again if I ever lived close to an ocean with suitable waves.

March 4, 2012.  S.T.A.R.S. President and Chairman Ismael Torres met with Mitch Brandt and Kevin Vaughn in Schiller Park, IL to review the fragile status of the corporation.  The dialog of the meeting can only be summarized as non-confrontational, forthcoming, and encouraging.  “Expectations are high” and only time will tell if the 8.5 year old S.T.A.R.S. International can be set into motion again in the next few weeks/months if “Action” and “Support” can accompany “Desire”.  As Founder, reigniting S.T.A.R.S. International to serve youth now and in the future is but only 1 of 3 things left on my personal bucket list, and I will make every effort to support Ismael’s current plan.  Despite the problems of the recent past, I stand by my strong personal belief that like anything this badly broken, it can be much stronger and more resilient once it is fixed.  In conclusion, it takes an extreme level of perseverance to make a mistake, accept your oversight and the vulnerability, and turn around with more determination than ever before to make something successful again!  Stay tuned, the current is shifting…

-– Oprah Winfrey

 “The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.”
— Arnold Palmer

“Don’t miss the magic of the moment by focusing on what’s to come.”
— Life’s Little Instruction Book 

“People of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them.  They went out and happened to things.”

-– Leonardo Da Vinci 

— Winston Churchill 

Personal thanks is broadcast to all those who helped Ann participate in this incredible trip and whom have continued to be in her corner!!!   I and her parents are proud to say “That’s my girl!”  I urge you to take a moment to commend her on her continued success by dropping her an e-mail at; medina.ana@mail.ic.edu.  Thanks for taking the time to read up on Ana and enjoy your day.

And Ann wonders why she is exhausted!

        Another Excellent Opportunity For Exposure!

Congratulations To All Past S.T.A.R.S. Volunteers That

Participated To Achieve This Prestigious Award!

This is a tribute to the dedicated work by ALL,

and no one person among us!