The Arms of the Starfish: MUHS Starfish Foundation

At WASH for Life, encouraging young people to make lasting change in their communities and throughout the world is part of our mission. In this edition, we are highlighting a newer arm of our starfish, MUHS Starfish Foundation. Organized by Colin Hamer out of Marquette University High School, this team is led by four high school boys who are bringing the inspiration and passion of WASH into their student body. They have been focused on gaining traction at their school and among their peers through writing articles, engaging in school events, and reaching out to fellow students. Starfish MUHS’s goal is to spread awareness of the water crisis among the younger generation by demonstrating what kind of change – even seemingly small – can be made.

The MUHS Starfish Logo

We asked Colin about his experience so far in spearheading this new effort at his school. He explains that he decided to kickstart a new arm of our starfish because he was inspired by his grandfather (Steve Hamer, founder/president of WASH for Life) and his brother (Dillon Hamer, founder of the Starfish Foundation out of St. John’s Northwestern Academy), who have now both visited Malawi as well. Colin says he was “inspired by seeing all the great work they have done” and that they “encouraged him to go for it, even if it meant possible failure”. Starting a new arm of the starfish isn’t always easy – credibility, donor trust, and structure are all tangible things the founder needs to establish for the public to see. Nonetheless, Colin knew he had to bring the WASH mission to MUHS. To Colin, that mission means “a win-win situation where students in Malawi get education and hygiene, while in return, I learn valuable business and life lessons as well as strengthen my resume”. Being involved in a non-profit is inherently educational, and the experience often provides the development of professional skills that are extremely valuable to young people – the kind that can’t always be obtained in a classroom, especially when it comes to learning the culture, lifestyles, and experiences of other people.

The MUHS Starfish Team (L-R): Stephen Deslongchamps, Vice President; Beau Baltz, Chief Technology Officer; Colin Hamer, President; Liam Mullen, Project Manager

The team’s most recent fundraiser at MUHS was a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tournament, hosted at their high school. Colin and his team offered two entire pizzas as a prize for the winner and sold pizzas during the event to viewers and contestants as a way to raise money. They decided to time the event during finals week so students would have an opportunity to relax, participate in something fun, and learn about the Starfish mission. Overall, $382 was donated by MUHS students for a borehole well. Colin reports it was “a big hit” and he was very pleased with how the event went; most importantly to the team was that they “raised whole school awareness in a very positive way”. With the success of this event, the MUHS Starfish chapter plans to organize many more fundraising events next year.

The Mario Kart tournament event hosted by MUHS Starfish.

When asked about his own experience, Colin describes learning “valuable business and leadership skills such as building websites, writing articles, managing a group of boys, and advertising to adults in a professional way”. Based on his participation, Colin would highly encourage other students and young adults to get involved in non-profit or fundraising efforts for a cause they care about. His advice is this: “Whether it's running a foundation or helping out in your community at home, service provides so much to people who serve and those being served. There is not much better than going to sleep at night knowing you made the world a better place. Just trust the process and be consistent and anyone can do what I have done and far more.”

To learn more about Starfish MUHS, visit https://muhsstarfishfoundation.org/. To learn more about the other arms of our starfish, follow along with our new blog series! Cheers!