As the beginning of school draws near, a group of students, parents and role models from the community met to get acquainted, mingle, and plan for the next year.

The STAR (Success Through Active Role Modeling) program was initiated at Corsicana High School last school year, in conjunction with the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program. The AVID program is for students who want to go to college, but need a bit of extra guidance, help with curriculum selection, and tips on organizing school work for the tougher courses offered at CHS.

The STAR program works hand-in-hand with AVID, in that business people from the community volunteer their time to be a role model for a student. The purpose is to help students find a career that is right for them.

“This year, we have 52 Avid II kids as sophomores, and 63 AVID I kids coming in as freshman,” said Kimi Muldner, coordinator of the programs at CHS. “We need role models for all of them.”

STAR organizers have three goals for students: graduation from high school, college or another form of advanced education, or lacking that, to find a good career. Role models must apply, go through a background check, and pass an interview process before being paired with a student. They also must be willing to make a four-year commitment to follow that student through high school.

“We want to try to get students and role models together,” said Dick Martin of the STAR board. “We currently have 18 role models, and 16 have been assigned students.”

Students are given an aptitude test, which helps them decide possible careers which meet their particular skills and interests. From there, using the scores combined with the student’s career interests, matches are made between student and role model.

Julie Teel, owner of ReMax, has been paired with her student Harrita Ngirucherong, formerly of the island of Palau, since February.

“Harrita comes to ReMax once a week, and she has been in on marketing presentations with me, gone to closings, gone to show properties, everything under the sun,” Teel said.

Teel and Harrita also get together and have their nails done, or have lunch, and Harrita says she is interested in selling real estate, because it seems fun from what she’s observed, and she likes helping people.

Kristen Zastoupil and Vanessa Williams, a sophomore in her second year of AVID, have also been paired for quite some months. Vanessa’s interest is in the field of education, and Zastoupil’s former position with the Corsicana Education Foundation allows her to introduce Vanessa to people in many different areas of education, from administration to teachers to the school nurse.

“We are friends first, and do lots of girl things together,” Zastoupil said. “Vanessa wants to go to Baylor, and I will be teaching there this fall, so we will spend some time together there, too. Part of it is career modeling, and the other part is being friends and hanging out.”

More role models are needed, as organizers attempt to match students with professionals in the right field, and who are the same gender.

“I will step out there and say this will be the first annual back-to-school mixer for the program,” Martin said. “And I hope to have 60 more role models by next year.”

Corsicana Independent School District Superintendent Don Denbow said the first part of CISD’s mission statement says that CISD is in partnership with parents and the community, which works perfectly with the STAR program.

“This program helps motivate kids to do their best, and realize their full potential,” Denbow said.

Dr. Keith Moore, CHS principal, said it really does take a village, which is what the STAR program exemplifies. He thanked the students for making the commitment to AVID and to taking the more difficult classes offered at CHS.

“The AVID program breaks down walls and barriers for students who need guidance, as well as a role model,” Moore said. “We don’t want you to be a graduate — we want you to be an honor graduate. Right now, my Pre-AP and AP teachers are coming to me saying their classes are too full, so we will have to train more people to teach these difficult classes. It’s a great problem to have.”

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Deanna Brown may be contacted via e-mail at deanna@corsicanadailysun.com