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Former at-risk youths recognized at Albany conference

Submitted Photo Michele Starwalt, center, recognized four Chautauqua County residents at the 49th Annual Youth Development Leadership Training Conference in Albany in October. Pictured from left to right are Casey Cannon, Wilfredo Santana, Starwalt, Mallory Wojcinski and Jessica Vara.

From physical disabilities to fateful choices to deceased parents, a superhero’s origin story is often the most important aspect of his entire being. Despite their different stories and skills, Iron Man (disabled veteran Tony Stark), Captain America (childhood polio survivor Steve Rogers), Captain Marvel (homeless orphan Billy Batson), and Spider-Man (bullied social outcast Peter Parker) all have one important quality in common: they were empowered by the very qualities society deemed weak or flawed.

So, too, have four Chautauqua County residents, once considered to be at risk for dropping out of school, turned weaknesses into strengths, challenges into opportunities, and personal hardships into hours of community service. Last month, Dunkirk resident Michele Starwalt, consultant and Chautauqua County Youth Bureau board member, shared their stories with hundreds of youth workers at the Association of NYS Youth Bureaus’ and The Coalition for Homeless Youth’s 49th Annual Youth Development Leadership Training Conference in Albany.

“With all the difficulties each faced and the fact that they have all succeeded is a true testimony of a person’s character, drive and determination,” Starwalt told the OBSERVER. “It shows all of us that nothing is impossible.”

Starwalt, who also serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, was one of the conference’s main speakers. She has devoted her career to working with youths in Chautauqua County, most recently as director of Chautauqua Striders, Inc. North County Programs, a position she held for over 14 years. Her inspiring presentation featured a live and in-person panel including Casey Cannon, Wilfredo Santana, Jessica Vara and Mallory Wojcinski, former at-risk youths who achieved personal, emotional, and career success because of personal advocacy, social education and community assistance.

Starwalt’s story

Starwalt knows a thing or two about the importance of origin stories, as those of her parents inspired her life-long passion for empowering children and young adults. Her grandparents immigrated from Poland as children, and as adults became American citizens. The couple had 12 children, and Starwalt’s grandfather died in a boating accident when her mother was only 5 years old. Starwalt’s father had a similarly challenging childhood, as the Illinois native’s mother and younger brother died in a house fire. “His father suffered serious third-degree burns and was treated at a burn clinic for over a year after the fire,” Starwalt explained. “His parents were expecting their third child when the fire broke out. Something about the difficult upbringings that my parents shared made them selfless individuals who have lived their lives for their large family, friends, and church community. … My love of working with children and in the community comes directly from them.”

Starwalt went on to share the inspiring stories of those former at-risk youths with whom she has interacted through her work in Chautauqua County over the years. Key components of her 75-minute talk involved resources that were utilized by teachers, employers and agencies to assist the four individuals along their paths to success. Starwalt pointed out that all four advocated for themselves, and three of the four had a strong support system in family members.

Casey Cannon’s story

Starwalt first met Casey Cannon four years ago when she applied for a tutoring position with Striders. As an infant, Cannon was diagnosed with a rare blindness that affects only one in one million infants. While one doctor told her parents she would never read as well as a sighted person, another wanted to give her growth hormones because he deemed her short stature unacceptable. “Casey actually reads Braille faster than a sighted person reads text,” Starwalt said. “She has a bachelor’s degree, is bilingual and can read and type Spanish in Braille, and is a talented musician.”

Through Striders, Starwalt placed Cannon in the Brocton Central School District, where she served as a tutor in the after-school program. There, librarian Joleen Becker ordered for Cannon Braille books that her students were also reading in class and for Accelerated Reading (AR) tests. “The students at Brocton all loved Casey and the interaction was profound,” Starwalt remarked. “It was evident that they ignored her disability and respected her and appreciated her for all that she offered.”

Wilfredo Santana’s story

Through her work at the Boys & Girls Club, Starwalt met Wilfredo Santana, who was born with half a heart, otherwise known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome. He has undergone seven heart surgeries since birth and deals with several reading and writing challenges. Santana was involved in the Chautauqua Works Summer Employment Program, and his hard work and passion for youth led to his direct hiring at the Boys & Girls Club.

“As employers, we often focus too much with the concerns — possible or imagined — that could lead to under-performance of an employee instead of their strengths,” Starwalt pointed out. “Wilfredo’s strengths shine through on a daily basis. When and if a concern arises, it is addressed and improved upon immediately. His work ethic, punctuality, and always going above and beyond are daily occurrences with Wilfredo.”

Jessica Vara’s story

The panelist with whom Starwalt has the longest relationship is Jessica Vara, her daughter, a fact which she shared with audiences immediately. “I know I’m her mom, but I am honestly a person who gives credit only where credit is due,” she said. “If I had the tenacity and determination that she did at the age of 17, I would now be a millionaire.”

Vara, a high school cheerleader and hard-working student in the top 10 percent of her class, became pregnant at the age of 16. While nearly half of teen moms drop out of high school and just over one percent finish their bachelor’s degree before the age of 30, Vara defied the odds. “She would come home during her lunch in her senior year and nurse her daughter, Sophia,” Starwalt recalled. “She worked as a tutor for Striders and worked at Big Dipper, Peebles, T.J. Maxx and in SUNY Fredonia’s Reed Library.”

When one audience member asked Vara how she did it all, she replied, “There were days that I was away from Sophia for 18 hours, and all I would be able to do was kiss her on the forehead before I left for my student teaching practicum in the Ripley School District, and kiss her on the forehead again at 1 a.m. after my library shift ended. … It was hard and it hurt me, but I knew that it was one day less that I would have to ever be away from her for so long.” Vara graduated from Dunkirk High School in 2010 and in 2015, earned her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Fredonia, where she recently earned her master’s degree. Now a tenured kindergarten teacher at Silver Creek Central School, she is married to Deputy Eric Vara, with whom she has a son, Anthony Joseph.

Mallory Wojcinski’s story

Starwalt met Mallory Wojcinski through several community events, including a recent collaboration to create a fundraiser for Roswell Park’s Carly’s Club. As an infant, Wojcinski was diagnosed with failure to thrive and had several developmental and health disabilities. At the age of four, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer and underwent six months of chemotherapy. Despite these challenges, she is a certified bowling coach, placed fourth in the JROTC challenge and is close to receiving an award for 1,000 hours of volunteer service at Roswell.

“Mal is a dynamo,” said Starwalt. “When I look at Mal, I see all the possibilities of success and goals that each one of us in life could reach, if only we gave a little extra effort. When I am around Mal, I push myself to be a better person: I want to do more, be more, help others more and be kind in the process.”

During her talk, Starwalt emphasized her main point: “Agencies, people and community working together make great things happen on a daily basis.” Indeed, not only were the four individuals highlighted in the presentation, but so were community leaders who witnessed their success and community impact. Starwalt surprised all four with testimonials and videos, which she shared during her presentation. Videos included congratulatory words from Brocton Superintendent Jason Delcamp and Brocton Librarian Joleen Becker for Cannon; Jennifer Kingston, high school guidance counselor, and Mary Allaire-Gifford, IEP coordinator, for Santana; SUNY Fredonia professor Dr. Michael Jabot and N. Chautauqua County Catholic School’s Coach Fogarty for Vara; and Dunkirk Mayor Wilfred Rosas and Roswell Park’s volunteer coordinator for Wojcinski.

“The Fab Four were like rock stars after the presentation,” Starwalt told the OBSERVER. “People were asking if they could hug them, telling them they were proud of them, and congratulating them.”

Starwalt, too, is inspired by the four, whom she considers her “personal heroes.” A certified life skills educator, Starwalt works with the JCC Liberty Partnership Program and Kids College at JCC’s main and north county campuses. She is also a certified property manager and leasing agent. Her latest endeavor, which has been a life-long goal, is her own consulting company, MDStar Presentations. In this new role, Starwalt provides presentations, human resource trainings, youth development workshops and STEAM and STREAM activities throughout the area. Her most recent contract is with the Chautauqua Leadership Network, where she will be conducting strength-based management workshops.

“I remember worrying when I was turning 50 that I would be depressed or get into some type of funk,” she recalled. “It never happened, but what did take place … is an intense desire to recognize and highlight those who were once considered underdogs. There is so much negativity, bitterness, and anger in our world today that it seems to take precedence over accomplishments and hard work. … These four have become my personal heroes, and I know that they are slowly gaining recognition from many other sources, too. They certainly deserve it, and the community can’t help but be inspired as well.”

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