A former “American Idol” contestant says she has dedicated herself to stopping teen suicide and the bullying that often precedes it.
Franki Moscato, 20, told Fox News she’s ready for the big challenge, creating her own nonprofit foundation in 2019 because she felt a divine calling.
“God called me to start my own nonprofit,” the Oshkosh, Wisconsin native said, “so I would be better suited to help save kids from the growing epidemic of teen suicide.”
The young singer, who is a Christian, is known for singing the National Anthem at venues throughout the Badger State.
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She told Fox her parents taught her to “focus” on things she can control.
“My parents always told me to focus on things that I can ‘control’ — and acting and storytelling have been something that I’ve done on stage and in front of the camera since a young age,” Moscato explained. But “weirdly my own success and the attention it brought me caused me to lose all of my friends and to twice leave schools.”
She recalled she was “in a very dark place” for some time. The bullying, she explained, inspired her to go forward.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts and feeling alone, you can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
With the help of her family, along with her deep Christian faith and prayer, Moscato decided the time was right to go out and help other people.
She gave thanks to St. Raphael’s, her local Catholic church in Oshkosh, for helping her with her efforts. Currently, she serves as the church’s solo pianist and singer during the congregation’s Sunday worship services.
Moscato told Fox News that she and a production crew recently produced a public service announcement for broadcast and social media that is “scripted to ‘de-glamorize’ the issue of teen suicide, and to highlight the grievous realities of the problem.”
Most people contemplating suicide don’t really want to die,” the singer explains in the video. “They just don’t want to keep living with the suffering that they’re feeling. And given an extra stress when things already seem hopeless can put them on the edge.”
Moscato said her first public anthem performance was for a local suicide awareness event. She takes no payment when performing the anthem at events.
“I was only 11 at the time — and I remember staring into the eyes of the faces of children whose photos were taped to the gymnasium walls,” the Wisconsin singer recalled.
Her musical journey led her to audition for American Idol in 2019. She was ultimately awarded a “golden ticket” to perform in Hollywood but was ultimately eliminated from the singing competition.
Moscato told Fox News she has no regrets about her “Idol” experience. Instead, she told the outlet her focus is now on trying to reach teenagers who may need help.
“Too many families are broken,” she said. “With so many things going on and to worry about in this world, this one focus is on my shoulders and God chose me to tackle it.”
Moscato’s foundation website noted: “In 2017, over 17% of high school students considered suicide, and 7.4% attempted it. And there are a plethora of ‘attempts’ that families do not disclose.”
The website also lists several warning signs that teenagers often exhibit when considering taking their own life.
“Four out of five teens who attempt suicide have given clear warning signs. Suicides are preventable and there are measures that can be taken at different levels to prevent suicide and suicide attempts,” the website says.
For more information about Moscato’s nonprofit foundation, click here.
Watch Moscato sing the Star-Spangled Banner before a Green Bay Packers game in 2019.
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