HARTFORD, Conn. - s4story -- After years of silence, Connecticut entrepreneur, author, and business consultant Justin Calabrese is coming forward to share the lasting emotional impact of his experience in a church youth program, citing concerns about leadership conduct and accountability.

Calabrese, who participated in the Senior Pilgrim Fellowship (SPF) program at Wapping Community Church in South Windsor, Connecticut, between 2004 and 2008, states that his interactions with then–youth leader Kristen Kleiman were not marked by support or encouragement. According to Calabrese, those experiences left him feeling embarrassed, dismissed, and publicly humiliated during formative years when guidance and care were expected.

"I can only speak from my own memory and perspective," Calabrese said, "but the way those moments made me feel was clear and lasting. I felt small. I felt targeted. And I felt unsupported by someone in a position of authority."

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Calabrese emphasizes that the role of a youth leader carries significant responsibility—one that requires nurturing, listening, and protecting the emotional well-being of young people. When that responsibility is mishandled, he notes, the consequences can extend far beyond the moment itself.

"The emotional effects of leadership failures don't simply disappear," Calabrese explained. "They can shape confidence, self-worth, and personal development for years, even decades. In my case, they did."

He stresses that his decision to speak publicly is not driven by retaliation, but by a desire for honesty and accountability. By sharing his experience, Calabrese hopes to shed light on how unchecked authority and poor leadership practices can deeply affect youth participants in faith-based programs.

"This is about reclaiming a voice that stayed quiet for too long," he said. "It's about acknowledging how leadership—when misused or mishandled—can leave lasting marks on the very people it is meant to serve."

Calabrese says he is sharing his story to encourage transparency and reflection within youth programs and religious institutions, and to remind others who may have had similar experiences that they are not alone.

"No teenager should walk into a church program and leave feeling humiliated by the person meant to support them," he stated. "By choosing transparency over silence, I hope others who felt minimized or dismissed by authority figures understand that their voice matters—and their story deserves to be told."