Embodying a Five Star Life

“Coach Katie is Five Star. She embodies every one of the Five Star Life Core Values and is a catalyst for our DNA in everything that she does. She truly has a heart for students and impacting their lives. Her gentle but firm spirit has led countless students down the right path. When I think of someone that truly exemplifies living a Five Star Life, I immediately think of Katie.” – Coach Mia

If you’ve been involved with Five Star for any amount of time, you’ve met Coach Katie. Whether it’s dealing with Day Trips, Summit Life Leadership Camps, Summit Life, Volunteer Trainings, or daily office gatherings, Coach Katie probably had her hand in it or led it to completion. She is a chameleon… a jack of all trades… and she does it all for one reason – the students.

Coach Katie’s ultimate goal is to build relationships with students and help Five Star’s Volunteer Coaches build relationships with them as well. “The stronger the relationship with a student, the easier it is for a Coach to speak into their lives and the more willing a student is to share their story.”

When a student is more willing to open up, Coaches are able to pick up on little signals or red flags to make sure the student is safe and headed in the right direction. Coach Katie’s job is to help train these Coaches in handling different situations that may arise.

“Every middle school student is going through something. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what family you’re in, how well you’re doing in school, or how many friends you have. Every student is dealing with something. Our Coaches are on the front lines, diving in to see what these students are going through and figuring out what we can do to make a difference in their lives.”

At Five Star, we have every kind of student. We have students from single-parent homes, two-parent homes, students in and out of the foster system, students being raised by grandparents… some students are well-adjusted and some students are going through really rough situations. Every student has a different story.

“Some issues we deal with are students’ work ethic. Maybe their grades are slipping so we challenge them and walk with them through the process of getting their grades up. Other issues we deal with are bullying and depression. If a student comes up to a Coach with warning signs of depression, we want to equip them so that they know how to handle the situation in the best and most constructive way possible.”

One in five students in high school has suicidal thoughts at some point. This is starting in middle school and Five Star Life was founded to help these students learn how to handle life’s challenges and overcome any difficulties they may face.

Five Star Coaches are helping students walk through life and Coach Katie, along with an amazing staff, are equipping these Coaches to help change the trajectory of countless students’ lives. We are helping students realize that they matter and, because of this, our students are succeeding!

Coach Katie, today, we honor you. Thank you for giving so selflessly of your time and energy to make sure students know their worth, stay on track, and make the very best of their lives. Thank you for embodying Five Star!

To become a Five Star Coach or volunteer in other ways, please visit our website and fill out a Volunteer Application or call our offices at 574-266-4038!