The great turbulence by which a star is born can bring it near to collapse, but it’s the star’s core that deems its failure or success. And just like that, the galaxy’s brightest stars are seen gleaming bright, across time and space. Much akin to this volatile process, today’s youth could very well have collapsed under the devastating blows that have been shaking their reality in recent years like no other generation. Refusing to lose hope, today’s youth are forging new paths. To say they’re reaching for the stars is an understatement, but, for kids fueled by an unabashed hope and desire to bring about change, it’s working!
Jonathan Kupp
If you were to tell the average 6-year-old that their family’s garage was full of toys, you can bet they’d be chomping at the bit to investigate immediately. Even to most adults, the idea of not racing out to personally examine such a precious treasure trove of goodies is preposterous, but one warm-hearted local does just that every year as he gathers hundreds of toys for those in need.
Not so long ago, as a class of first graders eagerly crafted their yearly letters to Santa Claus, one particular youngster’s most coveted wish was for all children to know the joy of Christmas he knew so well firsthand. An only child, his parents were keen to instill within him that such abundance is not what all children experience.
Now 17, Jonathan Kupp of Blandon is not quick to boast and maintains a cool, collected balance that surely serves the sturdy teen well on the hockey rink where he plays defense on multiple teams. He draws inspiration from professional hockey players giving back as positive forces within their communities. It is only when pressed further that this humble gent will speak a peep about himself or his yearly philanthropic endeavor and self-built cause: Make Kids Smile. Kupp prefers to focus solely on the work of doing rather than telling. “You can volunteer or give back in your community even if you’re shy. I’m able to help others with Make Kids Smile. Giving back makes you feel good; I believe it gives you more confidence.”
Needless to say, Kupp is definitely on Santa’s “Good List.” This Christmas will mark his twelfth year leading the Make Kids Smile effort, collecting toys for Shoemakersville nonprofit Keystone Military Families. Close to Kupp’s heart, he shares, “We chose Keystone Military Families because my grandfather was a Vietnam Veteran. They help Veterans, active-duty military and their families.”
“I think all those years watching his grandfather making kids happy might have contributed to Jonathan wanting to help make kids happy in his own way,” proud mother Jennifer Stout reflects. “Jonathan was his only grandchild; he was very proud of him. He was very happy to know (Jonathan) was giving back to Veterans and their families,” she shares of her late father William Eveland. Also a longtime Reading police officer, he proudly portrayed Santa Claus for more than 40 years, 18 of them as Reading’s own jovial Christmas Parade Santa.
While not believing his grandfather the real Kris Kringle, young Kupp did see him as Santa’s chosen helper. “I appreciate all of the things that I have because I know so many others aren’t as lucky. I know we are making a difference because each year the donations multiply. I plan on keeping Make Kids Smile going even after graduation; I hope it continues for many years to come,” Jonathan says. Wise beyond his years, the apple doesn’t fall far from the family tree.
Maddy Fratis & Katie Schadler
In July 2020, VOiCEup Berks and Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading held a timely six-part discussion series focused on race in America titled “Community Conversations for Change.” What began as a weekly Zoom call transformed into the youth-driven initiative STAR (Stand Together Against Racism), engaging students by addressing social injustice through spreading awareness, activism and change throughout their communities and abroad, while facilitating the difficult conversations with kindness and equality.
“We needed an outlet for positivity and hope. We decided we were going to make a change. I don’t think there was a clear path for us upon starting, but we knew we couldn’t stay silent,” recalls Maddy Fratis, 17, a Wilson High School student, and following a charged six weeks, “the group decided our mission for justice couldn’t stop.”
“Following the murder of George Floyd, [it] happened fluidly,” Katie Schadler, 18, of Wyomissing Junior/Senior High School, reflects. “If a bunch of passionate kids are put in a room together, magic is bound to be made.”
“Katie and I, along with our peers, cofounded STAR when COVID-19 and a national cry for justice were happening simultaneously,” Fratis recalls. Splitting into teams, they tackled their first three action items by developing the STAR website (yvc-star.org), where you’ll find the STAR Pledge, with ever-increasing signature counts being submitted from across the nation. The website showcases an array of project descriptions and ways to get involved, while highlighting their ongoing must-read series, “My Voice,” which features students’ personal accounts and journeys of growth. Not to be missed is the STAR Mission Statement, Vision and Values, each encompassing the steely determination shown by Fratis, Schadler and their growing number of empowered cohorts. Copious resource outlets usher forward the creation of STAR groups within each of their own high schools and beyond.
STAR’s “Stand-up, Stand-in” virtual event and its presentations to more than 40 Berks County teachers encouraged increased representation and accuracy within academic curriculum. Fratis and Schadler also created and delivered playground curriculum, engaging elementary school students in conversations on diversity and inclusion. Considering the importance of children’s voices being heard, Schadler beams, “You might be raising a future change-maker.” She champions her peers to “encourage the dreams they call too grand” and be bold “with a relentless passion and a vision. The youth truly have the capacity to make a tangible difference. Trust me, this magic is something you want to be a part of.”
STAR has blossomed through fervent determination, countless Zoom calls and virtual project engagement. Seemingly undaunted by the arduous and ever-present pandemic restrictions, 2021 saw 75 students involved in 15 STAR projects as they volunteered more than 600+ service hours with this progressive youth-led initiative. Traversing Spotify airways as well, Fratis and guests offer new perspectives and member highlights through engaging dialogue via STAR’s podcast, “The Powerful Youth Perspective.” Fratis urges listeners to “think big and not be shy when sharing big ideas. Change can be slow, exhausting and easy to give up on, but with determination, little sparks of light can ignite a fire.”
Miah Delinko
It’s been said that the more you give, the more you get. In the case of Miah Delinko, 16, there’s no denying it. This young lady’s calendar is jam-packed with blithe aspiration, opportunity and determination to spare. She asserts, “I’m definitely not afraid to get my hands dirty!” The Schuylkill Valley High sophomore and industrious go-getter is focused on bringing about change and her hustle is paying off.
Having sojourned through personal struggles herself, Delinko could have fallen prey to hopelessness. “I’ve struggled with my mental health a lot in the past and felt terrible.” She admits to knowing the burden of despair and defeat. “Sitting around and not doing anything about it,” she saw no way out. “I never want to see somebody sad. Unfortunately, I felt that (sadness) myself. I lost my silly, outgoing self, my sense of humor, my smile, my touch — everything,” Miah admits.
She eventually realized that she couldn’t stay grappling in the dark forever, explaining, “I didn’t want to use my story for a pity party. I wanted to use my story to save lives.” Concluding there had to be others who felt just as she did, “if not worse,” she conceded. “Since I can’t change the whole world as a 15- or 16-year-old, I figured I’d start with my school and work my way up!” Determined not to let her hard-fought struggles be for naught, Delinko put her bevy of benevolence to work, tapping every resource she could muster. Speaking to every teacher, counselor and principal who would listen, she won approval for her Mental Health Matters Project Club, focusing on ending the negative stigma associated with mental health issues.
Club life goes beyond fundraisers, donations and making pick-me-up kits for those in need. Honing warmth through regular emotional check-in discussions, journaling exercises and group activities, club comradery is captivating and aptly within reach any time an individual may be struggling. Her phone on 24/7, the earnest Delinko stays “up through the night to make sure (someone) doesn’t end their life.” She shares, “I find that the most rewarding thing is when I stay up with them, making sure they don’t do anything bad, then I see that they are in school the next day!”
The Mental Health Matters Project Club has proven to be a much-needed resource for fellow students and the broader community. Delinko’s sage advice is clear: “Even though you don’t want to fight anymore, DO IT! Fight. Even though you feel like you don’t have any more fight left in you, throw that hair up into a messy bun and get to work, babe!”
Today, you can find this Leesport Junior Firefighter tinkering underneath her father’s truck between softball, church, horseback riding, dirt track racing and even shoehorning in time with loved ones. “I just hope to leave a legacy behind me wherever I go in life and make my life memorable.” First, Delinko hopes to pass her driver’s test and “have the best summer yet!” Goodness knows, she’s earned it.
Nyla Harris & Jermaine Edwards II
Each year, Reading’s NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) honors outstanding youth whose positive contributions are felt throughout Reading and beyond. NAACP Youth Impact Award recipients Nyla Harris, 10, and Jermaine Edwards II, 10, do not disappoint. Their selfless acts of kindness exemplify the utmost quality of character, proving to be brilliant representations of today’s youth culture.
Empathetic and self-aware, Nyla’s charisma can only be overshadowed by her compassion for others. Collecting more than 150 bags of clothing and procuring donations from Vanity Fair, Harris merrily delivered an abundance to Opportunity House and Mary’s Shelter. Celebrating Black History, Harris shares weekly readings with her grandmother via “Gigi and Nyla Storytime” on Facebook Live. Honoring the preservation of cultural engagement through storytime while embracing her “Black Girl Magic,” she invites viewers to wholeheartedly love and accept themselves just as they are. A natural problem-solver, Harris strives to create a world that looks beyond one’s skin color, exulting “more love and less hate.”
Amid tragedy and chaos, there are those special few who remind the masses with natural ease that they’re really not alone. Praised for representing the spirit of kindness, motivational powerhouse Edwards bravely stepped in last-minute as “Kid Superintendent” for his mother’s 2020 video project for Reading School District. Bursting at the seams with the kind of inspirational boost the whole world was craving, the budding philanthrope and pint-sized comedian spoke to the heart of a nation with his overarching message of “grace over grief.”
