Today we’d like to introduce you to Starr McAlexander.
Starr, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As a co-founder and co-owner of Spirit Song, I have focused 55 years of personal development and professional skill in horse ownership, training, and management to benefit youth and families. I recognize that each child is a blessing, possessing great worth, and devote myself to encouraging and building self-worth and purpose in my students. In each learning session, I adjust riding, groundwork, and training styles to match the needs of each student to that of the horse. This truly remarkable connection encourages youth to reach for and to achieve their highest, God-given potential.
My innate love of and intrinsic aptitude for horses began at the young age of 5. Beginning with membership in a local 4-H Horse and Pony Club in Pennsylvania, I continued honing centered riding and jumping skills with many wise trainers, learning diverse riding and training techniques – all having the common theme of producing a well-balanced and safe horse to ride as well as one that is pleasant to be around. In 1997, I founded Two Point Meadows Riding Academy in Murphy, Texas, devoting my time to teaching students affiliated with the U.S. Pony Club. It was during this time that I started working with foster children and other youth who were experiencing some form of life trauma (opportunities looking for a solution). This revealed an opportunity for pairing my horses with youth looking for a friend and searching for purpose and self-worth. While creating and developing this new path to youth instruction, from 2000 to 2004, I was certified as a horse management judge for the US Pony Club’s Dressage, Eventing, and Show Jumping regional rallies. I became well versed in the need to maintain students’ levels of confidence in their abilities while promoting safe riding practices.
Since 2008, I relocated our academy to Anna, Texas, creating Spirit Song Youth Equestrian Academy (SS YEA!), nurturing a family oriented riding atmosphere for children and youth in which involvement of the parent(s) is encouraged. I am proud of each student’s growth and achievement in which each learning session is focused on developing an individualized and personalized life skill and quality. Key to the success of this tailored, learning program is the debriefing conducted after each session with the student and the parent(s). Several students have successfully progressed to university equestrian team status. Others continue to support Spirit Song, assisting in student instruction, horse training, and summer camps. I know that Spirit Song has successfully brightened each of its student’s belief in self and personal life purpose.
My husband and I, along with another member of our staff, are Level II E3A Certified Advanced Practitioners in Personal Development. Our team has enabled and strengthened families dealing with learning differences, lack of self-esteem, bullying, and social interaction issues. We are a strength based academy, poised to expand our Life Skills Coaching in personal and team development to couples, families, and organizations.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The Spirit Song journey began when a child traumatized by unfathomable home circumstances was entrusted to our care, and after only one encounter and encouragement from our horses and staff, left skipping and singing. This child’s dramatic change in behavior was a direct result of the acceptance found at our facility.
Yes, there are always obstacles, but we work with whatever shows up and turn that perceived obstacle into an opportunity to excel. By focusing on strengths instead of weaknesses, we provide personal development courses called Building Blocks for Life and Building Blocks to Success, facilitating change that is positive, focused, directed, and achievable.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Spirit Song story. Tell us more about the business.
Spirit Song is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides opportunities for each student to gain insights into life’s challenges through interaction with equine partners, equipping each student with Christ-centered life skills, and guiding each student through a decision process to promote beneficial, personal changes in his or her life. We value the personality, creativeness, and opinions of each individual, staff, and academy participant.
Our Coaches/Instructors spend time with each individual participant to discover not only what is on their minds, but what is in their hearts. This is accomplished through meaningful activities with specific horses and ponies that are uniquely aligned to each individual’s learning and other needs. Spirit Song is a place that specializes in potential and possibilities. Our Equine partners help us learn to minimize pitfalls or problems and to develop strong coping skills.
We coach self-awareness, self-acceptance, and change without the use of therapy. As such, we compliment and add value to the therapeutic landscape. Our staff is well-versed in understanding horse behavior and how that behavior can reflect an individual’s behavior. This affords us the opportunity to give that individual a new perspective on life and how he or she can take actions to control and positively direct different, better outcomes.
I can say that we have witnessed success upon success with our approach.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I define LUCK as “Living Under Christ’s Kindness.” With that understanding, luck has everything to do with my life and that of my business.
We succeed because we build on our core values and strengths, buy in to our coaching model, and focus our actions on realistic, achievable goals.
Contact Info:
- Address: Spirit Song YEA!
805 Spirit Song Way
Anna, TX 75409 - Website: ssyea.org
- Phone: 972-421-4412
- Email: inquiry@ssyea.org
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ssyea.org
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
