2025: The Final Letter

To Five Star Life Supporters, 

As we close out another remarkable year, I want to personally thank you for investing in the mission of helping students thrive academically, spiritually, socially through emotional intelligence lessons, and in their mental health. Because of your generosity, more students than ever are discovering their strengths, building confidence, and creating a Five Star Life. At Summit and through our Innovative Learning programs, lives are being shaped every single day, and none of it would happen without you.

You’ve heard from me in the last two letters, but now I want you to hear from the people whose lives are being changed because of Five Star Life. This year, some of the most powerful stories came directly from the students and families who have experienced transformation firsthand. I’d like to share some of them with you.

A powerful story of transformation comes from Sarah, a mother who entered our LIFT program during one of the most difficult seasons of her life and found hope, confidence, and community through Five Star Life.

 “When I first entered the LIFT program, I felt overwhelmed and alone. I was struggling to navigate some really hard challenges with my teenager, and I carried the weight of past trauma, including surviving gun violence and an abusive relationship. I often felt like I was failing and had no one who understood what I was going through. But LIFT changed everything for me.
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During the program, I learned lessons that were eye-opening. I started to recognize my own patterns, set goals that mattered, and use practical tools to communicate better with my teen. Instead of reacting out of fear or frustration, I learned how to listen with empathy, to see things through my child’s eyes, and to build trust in a way I never experienced growing up.

And for the first time in a long time, I found a community. Parents in the room were walking through the same struggles, and I realized I wasn’t alone. I felt supported, encouraged, and safe to share honestly without judgment. It felt like a family, people who cared deeply about their children and wanted to break cycles, not repeat them.
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Through LIFT, I rediscovered my self-worth. I began to love and value myself again, to believe I had purpose, and to understand that I deserved respect. I became a stronger, more compassionate mother, someone who can guide my teen with confidence and hope. LIFT did not just help my child. It helped transform me.”

Your support of Five Star’s LIFT program doesn’t just change behavior. It heals families, restores dignity, and empowers parents like Sarah to rewrite their stories and their children’s futures.
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I wish you could have met Kai before Five Star. Kai was a 5th grade student from Elkhart Community Schools who found his own path to leadership through Five Star.
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“When I first started the program, a lot of teachers saw me as distracted and hard to keep engaged. I was not a bad kid. I just had not found a place where I felt understood. Five Star changed that.
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The coaches looked past my behavior and saw something deeper. They told me I had influence and that I could be a leader if I chose to use it in the right way. As the fall went on, I connected with the curriculum and with role models who believed in me. I learned that leadership is influence, and influence can change the world for good or for bad.
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By the end of the program, I had become one of the strongest positive leaders in my grade. I even received a leadership award and a signed Five Star t-shirt from Coach Seth. Months later, when my school returned to Summit, I walked in proudly wearing that shirt. I was still leading, still influencing, and still choosing greatness.”

This is what your support makes possible! Here’s another powerful perspective from Mrs. Darr, an Elkhart Elementary Schools teacher who has seen the impact of Five Star Life both at home and in her classroom.

“As both a teacher and a parent of a Five Star student, I get to see the impact from every angle. My son loves coming to Summit because he learns in the way he learns best, which is by doing. Here, he feels successful, and that matters so much to me as his mom. I see the same thing in my own students.
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They are learning things they would never get just from a textbook, and they light up when they get to experience learning instead of just reading about it.”

‍Hands-on learning is opening doors for them. They are discovering new interests, new strengths, and a level of confidence that follows them back into the classroom. This is only possible because donors like you make experiential education accessible for every student who walks through our doors!
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Another student who discovered something powerful about himself this year is Brayden, a 5th grader from Elkhart Community Schools who discovered excellence through opportunity.

“I never knew archery would be something I was good at. Most kids don’t expect that their first time trying something new will go well, and I definitely didn’t. But during my first experience at Summit, I scored a 28 out of 30. I was told that score put me among the highest performers out of thousands of students.

The archery team gave me an award for it, but what meant even more to me was how they talked to me about respect, humility, and always being willing to grow. It made me want to keep getting better.”

What started as a new skill became a spark inside Brayden! It showed him that he has talents and opportunities he never thought about before.
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Our final story comes from someone very close to the heart of Five Star. Tristin is not only a Coach today, but he was also once a hurting student whose life was changed by the very program he now helps lead. His story hits close to home because it shows what can happen when a struggling kid is given acceptance, purpose, and hope.
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“My journey with Five Star started long before I ever became a Coach. When I entered 7th grade, I was coming off some of the hardest years of my life, and I was definitely a troubled kid walking into a new school. I was hurting, angry, and overwhelmed by trauma and loss at home. My family was fractured. I had gone through abuse. I lost my great grandfather, who was my hero. Right before middle school, everything in my world seemed to collapse all at once. Anger was the only way I knew how to cope.

That anger followed me into school. I got into fights, I was suspended, and I spent a lot of time alone. My turning point came when I got suspended for fighting and was not allowed to go to the Five Star Leadership Day at Summit. I had been looking forward to it and missing it devastated me. It forced me to face the direction my life was heading.

Five Star became the light in a very dark season of my life. The first time I walked into Five Star, I felt accepted for who I was. The coaches welcomed me and taught me life lessons that actually meant something. They modeled leadership in a real and relatable way. They did not talk down to me. They lifted me up and my life changed in every way; emotionally, mentally, and spiritually and now I get to share all of that with kids every day!”

Those lessons, the same one’s thousands of students learn each year, gave him hope and clarity. Slowly, transformation took root. Today, Tristin is not just a success story. He uses his past to help students who are hurting just like he once was. He stands in front of them as living proof that no matter how dark life feels, hope is real, change is possible, and greatness is within reach. Your generosity didn’t just impact Tristin’s life. It’s now impacting every child he coaches.

I hope these stories help you understand how much your involvement matters! However, I hope they do something much deeper. I hope they change you. Everyone can’t walk with these kids, parents, and teachers like we do. Everyone can’t see the hopeless look in their eyes, the defeated aura they emit, or the total void of vision for the future that shakes you to your core. Everyone isn’t there to see the flicker of hope as they start the Five Star program.
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I know you can't see the moment when the flicker becomes a flame, their countenance changes, their attitudes and behavior shift, and intrinsic motivation begins driving them toward a Five Star Life. You can't see the tears of joy streaming down parents faces as their child who was lost is now back on track. These are real people whose lives will never be the same because you chose to invest and change their story from tragedy to triumph.

I gave a tour to a donor last week and she had tears in her eyes seeing and hearing about the lives that are being transformed. She said, “Seth, Five Star is doing God’s work and that’s why I’ve supported you for over a decade. As a business owner and mother, I was so discouraged at the direction our nation was headed. I would watch the news at night and get overwhelmed with fear for our future. It was depressing. I heard you on the radio and knew I needed to get involved financially. Watching the work Five Star is doing with kids in schools, sports, and detention centers has been like a shot in the arm. I am so proud to be associated with Five Star and feel so hopeful and fulfilled knowing I’m doing my part to change lives as well as the future of our community, region, and nation.” I have had so many donors and volunteers echo her sentiment.

‍Folks, as much impact as we’ve had in the first twenty years, I believe we’ve just laid the foundation for the next twenty. I know we can transform our community, region, and nation. But, the reality is we can’t do this without you. If you’ve already given, THANK YOU! If you haven’t, I’m asking you to join us in this movement to transform culture. Whether you can give $5 or $5 million dollars, it all goes to transforming lives. And for those who want to leverage your support, please share this letter with someone you know. I run into people every month who have never heard about Five Star Life. You could be the one to make that connection.
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‍Thank you for joining us in doing your part to give every kid an opportunity to live a Five Star Life!
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With deep gratitude,

Seth Maust, President, Five Star Life