Youth-Founded · 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

Real Talk. Real Health.

For Teens, By Teens.

Resilient Stars is reshaping youth wellness across Orange County. From substance-use prevention to genuine mental health support, we build peer-driven programs that put young people in control of their own futures. No cap. Just facts.

“Young people deserve more than one assembly a year about drugs. Prevention works best when it's built with us, not handed to us.”
Niharika (Niha) GoelFounder · CADCA Youth Voice for California
88%
of adolescent overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
CDC 2024
1 in 3
high school seniors used cannabis last year; high-potency vaping driving increased use
Monitoring the Future / CDC, 2024
29%
of youth who vape now do so daily, a steep rise in severe nicotine addiction
USC / JAMA Network Open, 2025
77%
of high school students sleep less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep
CDC, 2024
Our Story

From Local Roots to National Impact: Meet Our Founder

Niharika (Niha) Goel, founder of the Resilient Stars Foundation

Niharika (Niha) Goel

Driven by Leadership. Grounded in Community.

Raised in Los Alamitos and currently attending Oxford Academy in Orange County, Niha Goel has been pushing the boundaries of youth health leadership from an early age.

Her path began in middle school, when she was named the only student in California to earn the prestigious HOSA Founders Scholarship. She went on to research, design, and deliver a workshop on community health access to a global audience at the HOSA International Leadership Conference.

Building on that momentum, Niha was chosen as the sole youth representative from California and one of only 10 selected nationwide to join CADCA’s elite team of national youth trainers.

Today, she brings that national experience back home to Orange County, leading Resilient Stars Foundation to deliver prevention education and wellness platforms that empower young people to lead.

CADCA National Youth TrainerOne of 10 selected nationwide · sole representative from California
Registered 501(c)(3)EIN 33-2186234 · Los Alamitos, California
Seal Beach LeosSecretary · Lions Clubs International youth program

Most prevention reaches young people as a lecture — one assembly, one slideshow, once a year. Meanwhile the actual risks have changed. Teen experimentation is down nationally, but counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl have made a survivable mistake fatal.

At the same time, the everyday parts of wellbeing have quietly eroded. Across a decade, the CDC recorded declines in every category it tracks — sleep, physical activity, and nutrition. Two in five students report persistent sadness or hopelessness.

Resilient Stars exists to close that gap. We connect young people and families directly to the professionals, organizations, and resources already in their community — and we put youth in charge of how that happens.

Because the encouraging truth is that most young people are already making healthy choices. Our job isn't to frighten the majority. It's to protect the progress they've made and support the ones who need more.

What We Do

Four areas, one goal

Wellness isn't one thing, so our work isn't either. Each area reinforces the others.

Substance-Use Prevention

Honest, current education about risks that have genuinely changed — including fentanyl in counterfeit pills — delivered without scare tactics or condescension.

Mental Health & Wellness

Resilience, stress management, and healthy coping — plus direct connections to local mental health resources for young people and the adults who care for them.

Youth Leadership

Training and real platforms for young people to run prevention work themselves — because a message from a peer lands differently than one from a podium.

Community Events & Partnerships

Convening schools, nonprofits, health professionals, first responders and local businesses so families can find everything in one place, on one day.

Upcoming

What we're building right now

Inaugural Event

Seal Beach Youth Wellness Fair

A free, all-day community event connecting young people and families to prevention education, wellness resources, and the organizations already working nearby — held as the local kickoff to Red Ribbon Week.

Date
Saturday, October 24, 2026Kickoff to Red Ribbon Week
Time
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Where
Eisenhower ParkSeal Beach, California
Cost
Free & open to all
Expected
500–1,000 attendeesStudents, parents & community members
Get Involved

Four ways to help

We're a young organization doing this from the ground up. Every one of these makes a measurable difference.

Donate

Tax-deductible gifts fund materials, speakers and activities. Every dollar goes into programming.

Give now →

Sponsor

Local businesses can sponsor from $100 to $2,500+, or donate goods and services in kind.

Request the packet →

Partner

Nonprofits, clinics, agencies and schools — bring a booth, an activity, or a demonstration.

Partner with us →

Volunteer

Students and adults alike. Help plan, set up, staff a station, or join our youth leadership team.

Sign up →

Let's talk

Whether you want to sponsor, partner, volunteer, or just learn more — we'd love to hear from you. We reply to everything.

Phone
562.250.5292
Mail
11278 Los Alamitos Blvd., Unit #909
Los Alamitos, CA 90720