Mary Edet, the Director of Mentor Plus, has been involved with the STARS program for 24 years. In 1999 as a high school freshman at Longmont Christian High School, she mentored groups of fifth graders at Columbine Elementary and Horizon Middle Schools in Longmont. Back then, the program consisted of after school programs with an emphasis on character education and games. Mary stayed involved with the program all through high school, putting over 2000 hours of community service in. Her adult supervisors and mentors throughout high school saw that she had the capacity to handle planning and leading these mentorship experiences, which empowered her to envision herself in the role in which she now serves. Mary attended the Stars National Conference’s throughout college, maintaining her relationship with the program. After college, Mary worked as a teacher until a job opportunity with the STARS program opened up in 2011.
For the last 12 years, Mary has been committed to empowering teenagers to not only invest in others but also themselves. Over time, the STARS curriculum has evolved to center a JEDI lens and be more inclusive while maintaining the emphasis on healthy relationships and positive decision making. Youth hold more responsibility than ever, and mentorship is a key focus. Mary has been at and supported 27 of the 28 STARS National Conferences and played a critical role in the success of this year’s conference. Last month we held our 28th conference where 120 youth from around the country spent 4 days learning about career paths, leadership skills and getting to know one another.
When asked what has inspired Mary to dedicate her life to this work, she said, “Even though over the years culture has changed, priorities have changed in schools and influences have changed, teenagers still want to be leader and still have the power to make change. Something that has always stood out to me is that youth are not our future, they are our today. They are the most creative and open-minded group, and the STARS program empowers them to make change in their own lives and the lives of the people around them.