Rising Stars: A Mission Beyond Simple

One of the most challenging questions Rising Stars' founder, Paul Savramis, is asked is to describe the mission of his foundation. Paul Savramis fields this question at every Foundation event, usually accompanied by the request for a "simple, abridged elevator version." For Paul Savramis, that question remains difficult to answer because the mission is anything but simple.

The Rising Stars website states the mission very simply: "To Promote Education." However, an additional description continues, "Utilizes the power of teams to introduce the important values children will need to make correct decisions during their formative years." Then there's the foundation's staple: "To offer children opportunities to Play; Learn; and Grow."

For Paul Savramis, this is anything but simple and very hard to condense into a one or two-sentence answer. This is especially true as the answers have evolved over the past thirty years and continue to evolve with the completion of the Rising Stars Athletic Complex. This evolution now defines Rising Stars as an extended family building relationships and supporting the community. The organization helps families navigate the many hurdles of high school life so their children can graduate high school issue-free and college-ready.

To do that, Paul Savramis is quick to point out, is a fully redefined mission that includes the welcome byproduct of graduates returning to the program. One case in point Savramis uses this year is the graduation of Carter Wilson and his acceptance into Adelphi University as a scholar-athlete. "Carter exemplifies so many key elements of being a part of the Rising Stars family," Savramis explained. "He has been with Rising Stars since third grade, and his father Jamaal Wilson is a huge part of our coaching staff."

Carter was a Suffolk Player of The Year award recipient and will now attend the same school as Rising Stars Executive Dan Gimpel. Savramis noted that this full circle of events will bring a great deal of local support to every Adelphi game and be a huge community event for their programs every time he steps on the floor.

Another example of Rising Stars' new mission that embraces family is Carter's aunt Danielle Wilson and her son Kingsley Rogers, who is a rising 10th grader and top high school prospect. Savramis sees families like these growing up together in Rising Stars as the perfect example of an evolving mission and an evolving world where education cannot be promoted or measured in a classroom alone. Education is measured in personal growth and building relationships that will help foster continued growth throughout life. That, Savramis can safely conclude, is anything but a simple question and answer combination.