The Sparkle Effects Brings out the Best in Everyone Involved

I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Cronk and Sarah Herr, the founders of The Sparkle Effect .Their organization is uncommon in that it unites teens with special needs with typical teens in a way that focuses on the strengths of each.

Sarah Cronk and Sarah Herr are uncommon themselves. They have managed to become wise in ways many people never do, and they have applied their collective wisdom to create and organization, a world even, that is supportive, gracious, loving, and fun! No small feat.

Please read the interview below to learn more about these amazing young women and the organization they created.

Gordon Simmons:
Why do you think you had this idea and followed through? Do you think others had the idea but never did anything about it?

Sarah Herr:
I had the idea when I was inspired at a trip to the Special Olympics. The idea was exciting and moving for me, and when I took it to my coach she felt the same way, and so did all the girls who jumped on board with it right away. I think that the idea might have crossed some people over the years, but might not have contacted the right people or had the right mix of cheerleaders at their school. We were blessed to have Mrs. Cronk because she is the reason why it worked so well; and all of the cheerleaders involved with it are perfect for it.

Gordon Simmons:
Do you believe that one person can change the world?

Sarah Cronk:
Not only do I believe that one person can change the world, I believe that that's all that ever has. Each of us has a responsibility to figure out what we stand for and then to take that stand. That's the whole point of the exercise -- the whole reason for being here on the planet. Otherwise, we're just taking up space. I also believe that the time for each of us is now, not at some hypothetical future point when we are older or richer or have more time.

Gordon Simmons:
Once you had the idea, and knew you wanted to pursue it, how did you begin to make it happen? What were some of your first steps?

Sarah Herr:
The first step was to tell my coach and ask her if she thought it was possible. Then we contacted Mrs. Cronk, one of my fellow cheerleader’s mom, because we knew she would be excited to help and would be a great help to us. After that we asked if anyone was interested at a summer practice and had four girls volunteer right away. Following that we had meetings with the administration to get there support, and handed out flyers for anyone interested in being a Sparkle at the many charity events we participate in.

Gordon Simmons:
How did you keep the momentum alive in the beginning?

Sarah Cronk:
We didn't make any sort of conscious decision to "keep the momentum alive" in the beginning. What we had at the beginning (what we still have) is an unwavering belief that we can make this happen. We needed the support of the school administration and the support of the Sparkles' parents to get the program off of the ground. When they talked with us, they saw how passionate and committed we are. I believe that when people see and hear something true and real, they know it. You don't need to convince them.

Gordon Simmons:
What were some of the obstacles you encountered, and how did you overcome them?

Sarah Herr:
One of the main obstacles was getting people to believe that this was something we were going to stick with and we wouldn’t get bored with it after a few weeks. We did this by showing them that we were serious about it, we had plans for the future and not just a few weeks from then, and we were extremely dedicated. They realized this quickly because it was obvious how passionate we were about the idea.

Gordon Simmons:
Did you ever have a great idea that failed when you did pursue it?

Sarah Cronk:
I've had several great ideas that I didn't pursue, and they "failed" simply because of that. I believe that things happen when purpose collides with passion. Great ideas are meaningless unless they are paired with commitment and focus.

Gordon Simmons:
How were concepts like teamwork, cooperation, and trust a part of making what you did happen?

Sarah Herr:
They were all major parts! We could not have done any of this by ourselves, without the other people involved it would not have been as successful as it was. As a team we cooperated with each other in an amazing way! When we were working on getting uniforms, my coach was the leader in that because she had handled that type of responsibility many times before, while Mrs. Cronk had great ties with the special needs community so she was able to help us out a great deal in those areas. Also many parents were able to give there opinion about what was necessary, because we had never done anything like that before. We all put complete trust in the fact that it was going to work, we never doubted that, and I think that is one of the major reasons it worked out so well.

Gordon Simmons:
In general, do you consider yourself as somehow different from most people?

Sarah Cronk:
Hmmmm . . . this is a tough one, because I do feel like I lead a different life than most of my peers, but certainly not all of them. And, I definitely have the same insecurities, fears, and desire to be accepted as my peers do. Like my peers, I'm trying to get everything done: homework, family responsibilities, sports etc., while eking out some time for socializing and friends. On the other hand, most of my peers aren't running their own business when they get home from school. I do believe that anyone can do what I've done. They just need to make a decision to do it.

Gordon Simmons:
Did anyone try to persuade you NOT to do what you did? If so, what did you say to them?

Sarah Herr:
No one told us not to do it, if anyone was hesitant though, it was to help us and make sure all of our bases were covered.

Gordon Simmons:
Tell me about what you had to learn in order to accomplish your goal.

Sarah Cronk:
Wow, I've learned so many life lessons through this process. I've learned the value of committing to something unconditionally. I've learned that people are willing to support great ideas: just ask! I've learned the importance of consistently expressing gratitude. I make sure to respond to every gesture of support with a personalized thank-you note or e-mail, and I try to keep our biggest supporters updated about the successes of the program so that they can appreciate the far-reaching effect of their support.

I've learn to drown out the negative voices. It's too easy to get distracted from the mission by a few negative people who, for whatever reason, have decided to disparage me or the program. I cannot control those people, but I can choose to ignore them and get on with the important business of the day.

I've learned that I have a lot to learn about everything and that there is no shame in asking for advice or help. Whenever I feel embarrassed about my lack of knowledge on a particular subject, I remind myself that the focus needs to stay on the program and the program's needs, not on my ego. There is no ego in enthusiasm!

More concretely, I've learned about web design, marketing, grant-seeking, Internet research, and the strengths and weaknesses inherent in different disabilities. For example, children with Down Syndrome may have low muscle tone, but they also have extraordinary flexibility!

Gordon Simmons:
Can you tell me the biggest lesson you learned in pursuing your vision?

Sarah Herr:
The biggest lesson I learned from this experience has been overcoming obstacles and breaking down the walls of fear. So many of these girls have obstacles of all sorts of ways, from their medical disabilities to not having a lot of confidence, but each practice they grew more and more and faced their fears right on. It is remarkable to see a girl who is petrified of stunting, do one and be beaming because she finally did it and overcame her fear. They have shown me that obstacles are not there to stop us; they are there to make us stronger!

Gordon Simmons:
Finally, how can readers of this book best help your cause?

Every person who reads your book can commit today to seeing the person and not the disability. Every gesture, no matter how small, toward a person with a disability counts. Make eye contact. Strike up a conversation. Invite a person with a disability to sit with you. If your readers are inspired to start something bigger, I encourage them to volunteer with any program that serves children and teens with disabilities. Interaction with typically developing peers is critical to the well-being and success of people with special needs. Finally, help us to spread the Sparkle Effect by working to generate a high-school based squad that includes students with disabilities.

Gordon Simmons:
Will you continue this work after you graduate?

Sarah Herr:
Definitely! I plan to keep working on the Sparkle Effect when I am at college, and hopefully start some squads where ever I end up. Also any chance I have at coming back and visiting these girls I will; I don’t know how I am going to be able to leave them.

Gordon Simmons:
How important has the Internet been to your success?

Sarah Cronk:
The Internet has proved to be absolutely critical to our success. Of course, the Quick-Start kit for the Sparkle Effect can be downloaded from our website, which makes it free and accessible to anyone interested in replicating our program. Our website also contains inspirational videos, so that people all across the country can watch our program in action without ever leaving their desks. The Internet has also been critical to spreading the word. Because we have no advertising budget, we posted information about the Sparkles and Sparkle Effect on celebrity volunteer sites, disability sites, and cheerleading sites. We have used Facebook to spread the word as well.

Gordon Simmons:
What are you future plans\dreams?

Sarah Herr:
We have Sparkles that are autistic, and I have seen it up close at practices and games but I want to understand the scientific side of autism. I think it would be wonderful to be part of the team that figures out what autism is and how to cure it so that everybody else can see the incredible people that I get to see everyday instead of just seeing their disabilities. I am fascinated by the brain and I think it would be awesome to be able to fix them and make them stronger through surgeries, my dream is to be a neurosurgeon.

Gordon Simmons:
Wow! I hope someday you both will consider writing a book about this experience to help others understand that it is possible to follow heartfelt dreams and succeed. You’ve managed to learn lessons and become wise in ways most people only learn much later in life, if at all.

Congratulations on your hard work, and your success; and thank you both for contributing something beautiful to the world.