Today we’d like to introduce you to Raphael Stark
Hi Raphael, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As a homeschooled teenager with a stutter, I wanted to speak with others who had also been bullied and teased for their communication differences. When looking for a support group for teens like me within my community, I discovered no such organization in my state of Hawaii. I live in the most isolated populated landmass in the world and the nearest support group was over 2,500 miles away. That was the deciding factor that propelled me to create a nonprofit dedicated to helping teens like me called CHATS: Caring for Hawaii Teens with Speech Challenges. I wanted to transform my stutter into a beacon of strength for others. With help from family, friends, and in partnering with local organizations such as Mental Health America of Hawaii, I spread a message of advocacy and mental health awareness for those with speech differences.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have had a stutter for as long as I can remember. It often prevented me from speaking and engaging in conversation, for fear of being teased. On occasions when I did talk, I was often mocked and made fun of. My self-esteem was low and my mental health was waning. Today’s world is focused on instantaneous response, it is not built for people who need time to get the words out. The world is not built for people like me. The fear of being bullied prevented me from engaging in activities, I felt trapped in my lonely world. I longed to be with peers who understood my fears and worries but found none. My concerns were compounded by the history of mental illness in my family. I have relatives who have had suicidal ideation and have died in mental institutions. I kept asking myself, “Will I be next?”
With my mental health on the line, I knew I needed to do more. First, I embraced acceptance therapy; I have a stutterer and it probably won’t go away. Then, I found healing by sharing my story and helping others like me. Running a nonprofit is hard, running it as a teenager battling their own difficulties was often overwhelming. At times, I really did feel like giving up, I am so glad I didn’t.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Storytelling through my camera lens is one of my favorite creative outlets. It is a super-tool I use to both entertain and educate. I created a public service video for PBS Hawaii called “A Safe Place For Youth”. As the sole producer, director, camera operator, sound technician, interviewer, scriptwriter, and editor, I was able to educate viewers about a mental health resource for youth in a fun way. I am completing a second video for PBS Hawaii, where I profile a Honolulu Police Officer within the Special Operation K9 unit. Instead of drawing attention to his duties as an officer, I am showing his human side, as a father, husband, and friend; things rarely profiled about the police in today’s media.
I am most proud of my work as a photographer. My photos have won gold and silver awards from the Scholastics Arts and Writing Competition and my work has been displayed at the Hawaii State Art Museum.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I welcome individual and organizational collaboration. Those with whom I collaborate include Mental Health America of Hawaii, Spill the Tea Cafe (a mental health clinic for youth), and Hawaii Speech-Language Hearing Association. They have helped me share CHATS’ message to over 5,000 students, parents, and medical professionals island-wide, reaching neighboring islands, the mainland, and now 10,000 miles away to youth in Kenya. The best way to support CHATS is through word of mouth and sharing our platform with those with and without speech challenges.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chatshawaii.org
- Instagram: @chatshawaii
- Other: @rstark.photos.and.videos
