‘In my family, they call me the American dream. I’m the first-generation American Trinidadian in my family. I was the first person to graduate college too.’

Great Neck

“I noticed at a young age that I was a visual learner. I was really bad at school, wasn’t gifted in that way, but I would turn projects into video projects and slideshows and skits and all these alternatives so that I could pass a class instead of learning the conventional way. My film teacher really did believe in me and she helped me understand myself and that I’m creative, but I’m creative in a visual aspect, in a way that I see images in my brain. And if it doesn’t work in my brain, then I can’t produce it, because I can’t think through the whole process. So that used to hinder me as a kid, but when I got older, that became a strength that wasn’t a learning disability for me. It was an advantage.

I was probably just a dreamer in my parents’ eyes for a while, but I stuck to it because I was really good at it.

“In my family, they call me the American dream. I’m the first-generation American Trinidadian in my family. I was the first person to graduate college too. And I definitely didn’t go to school for something conventional. I was probably just a dreamer in my parents’ eyes for a while, but I stuck to it because I was really good at it. And my family always pushed me, even if they didn’t necessarily have the experience or the knowledge, they still advised me to work hard, no matter what.

“So now I’m a video producer, but I really would like to get back into film and documentaries. That’s really where my niche is. My passion is documentary editing. I shot my own documentary in Trinidad for my thesis. It was supposed to be on air pollution and oil contamination, but it ended up being on flooding and littering because when I got there it rained, and it never stopped raining. And I had to do my whole film in the flood and 360 my film in the editing room.

“Ultimately, my dream is to have a blockbuster movie in every freaking movie theater internationally. It doesn’t have to be a doc, but I want in the credits for it to be edited by me. I could literally die in that seat that second—my life would be completed!”

‘I think everyone has a gift, and no matter what, you should always do your gift. Maybe you won’t make it big, but at least you will make it big in your heart and your own mind.’

Ronkonkoma

“At 12 years old, I taught myself how to play piano. I always loved music. In the ninth grade, I played keyboard and sang in my first band, Blitzkrieg. At around 19, I was playing at local Long Island clubs and bars constantly. I was the manager of the band and kept us very busy because I wanted to pursue music while I was still young. My brother and I used to paint cars in a garage, so I worked as a teacher’s aide in an auto body class while playing in a group called The Teachers. When I was playing in clubs, my life got a little crazy. There was alcohol and the atmosphere was wild. I did things that I regret, but two things remained a constant: music and my association with the Lord.

The Christian music got me out of the clubs, and my love for my wife encouraged me to work for a living.

“In my mid-20s, I began teaching myself chords on the guitar. My friend and I would write Christian songs, just two guitars and singing harmony. The Christian music got me out of the clubs, and my love for my wife encouraged me to work for a living. I started working with electronic factories which kept me employed for more than 20 years, at the tail end of which I saw the business fall apart. I was laid off at least five times from different jobs. My two beautiful daughters were young, so I was always working part-time jobs after work to support my family, but I was still playing music. I went to Alabama’s Civic Center with a gospel group and played to 500 people.

“At 49, I was out of work for eight months. I was really persistent in applying to work with the LIRR. I had to pass rigorous tests, including an electronics test and a physical. I was 50, so it wasn’t easy. It was challenging to learn the entire signaling system after not having been in school in 30 years. Now I’ve been a signalman for 17 years, and I’ve also been serving the Lord at churches and playing Christian music for almost 40 years. I’ve grown from it because it helps me to try to be a better human being in a world that sees a lot of unkind people. I think everyone has a gift, and no matter what, you should always do your gift. Maybe you won’t make it big, but at least you will make it big in your heart and your own mind.”

‘It started during quarantine, I was at a point where I really wanted a job but my parents were afraid of me going to work and possibly getting COVID and bringing it home.’

West Babylon

“I like to say that cooking is the love language of our family. My parents, especially my dad, loves cooking. He has the ability to know through taste anything that’s in a dish. My mom likes to bake more casually. I grew up wanting to help them stir the pot and put the seasonings in. It grew more to that I wanted to take a bigger part in cooking with my family. That’s usually our way to bond. On Saturday, we’ll cook all day and enjoy a nice meal at the end of the day.

“My grandmother was a big contributor to my love of cooking. She was Jamaican, she made a lot of curry chicken, oxtail, and she loved sweets. When I think of her, I think of, not just her cooking but the food we would share. She wasn’t in my life long, it must have been second or third grade when she passed. One of my last memories is I made her cut me a mango and we read a book together. That’s one of my fondest memories, me reading and eating with her. She had no energy but for those moments she had enough to make something small with me and entertain my wishes. When I bake, I think of my grandmother and I feel like she’s with me. I think if she was still here, she would be cooking with me.

Being a student who tries to do her best constantly and tries to be perfect, it’s a humbling experience when I’m cooking to know not everything you make will be perfect.

“I never thought I’d attempt a baking business, I’ve always been so focused on school and my grades. It started during quarantine, I was at a point where I really wanted a job but my parents were afraid of me going to work and possibly getting COVID and bringing it home. I started practicing more of my baking to hone my skills. I started selling to friends and family and it grew. The community has been supporting my business and I’m so appreciative.

“I’m most known for my chocolate chip cookies and my banana bread and brownies. Just simple things I like to make because I feel like it would be really homey and sometimes you just need a warm home-baked cookie. Being a student who tries to do her best constantly and tries to be perfect, it’s a humbling experience when I’m cooking to know not everything you make will be perfect. And it’s okay. It’s okay because when you try again, it’ll come out better.”

‘Growing up with such an obvious physical difference made other people see me as less of a real human being. I think a lot of people feel that way.’

Mastic Beach

“I grew up in suburban Chicago as a disabled, queer person, who was an actor. I understood that I was disabled because I had to deal with surgeries; at 13 I became a right leg amputee and began dealing with prosthetics. I don’t think I realized it at the time, but growing up with such an obvious physical difference made other people see me as less of a real human being. I think a lot of people feel that way. They focus on whatever they feel is different about them, even if they are not necessarily disabled.

“However, I was never considered limited because of my disability. I was able to audition for every role. I went to a great college for a theater degree and had a ton of performance opportunities, but once I got into the real world I started to notice that people saw me as limited. What I’ve learned over the past 12 years of being a professional disabled actor is that there’s a huge disparity in representation. Almost 25 percent of the people in the U.S. are disabled, but only 2 percent of characters in all media are disabled, and of that, only about 15 to 20 percent are played by actual disabled people.

I realized that I had placed a lot of my self-worth on my successes as an actor and other people’s perception of me.

“Decision makers need to understand that there’s a wide variety of disabilities and that all disabled people should be considered for all roles. There needs to be more representation because it leads to legislation that helps disabled people. I’ve been lucky to make appearances in ‘Broad City,’ ‘Amsterdam’ and ‘Homeland.’ I was also in wonderful projects like ‘Othello’ with Daniel Craig and Rachel Brosnahan at New York Theatre Workshop, where, before the pandemic, I was about to start rehearsals for ‘Three Sisters’ with Steve Buscemi.

“When the pandemic hit, life got so much smaller. I moved to Mastic Beach and found myself removed from my family and friends, as well as my coping mechanisms, a lot of which included achievement, trying to book the next job, and proving to myself that I am worthy and have value. I realized that I had placed a lot of my self-worth on my successes as an actor and other people’s perception of me. In contemporary society we’re not taught that we have value unless we are successful. I’ve learned that I can feel good about myself no matter what happens.”

‘My trip showed me that life doesn’t need to look so linear. I call it my pre-adult honeymoon.’

Wantagh

“I was in business school at NYU and decided to graduate a semester early. I had a ton of loans so starting work was the practical, realistic choice in what to do next. I had a job offer at an investment bank, but I decided to take a risk. I had always wanted to spend time in Australia and New Zealand, so I took my meager savings, bought a plane ticket, and decided to backpack for four months. It was a pivotal experience for me because it allowed me to see what happiness can look like in a variety of ways. I think I had always been exposed to the perspective of success in which you go to college, get a good job, get married, have kids, and get a house-the ‘American Dream.’ My trip showed me that life doesn’t need to look so linear. I call it my pre-adult honeymoon.

I also learned about being able to meet yourself where you are and understand that you’re capable of the things that others see in you too, as long as you keep staying committed to it.

“When I got to work a few months later I thought, ‘Is this what I worked so hard for and my parents sacrificed so much for? I’m not happy or fulfilled.’ I started writing a lot of random emails and journal entries. At 23, I put them in a blog called On Adulting. I questioned what it meant to be happy and less confused while figuring out how to grow up in a mindful way. The blog grew into something that I did not expect where tens of thousands of people around the world were reading it every day.

“When I was 27, I got an email from a publisher at Simon & Schuster and I thought that it was a joke. It said, ‘We love your writing, would you be interested in writing a book on this topic?’ I truly had a massive impostor syndrome moment where I thought that it was not real. Writing the book was a massive learning experience about expressing vulnerability. It was so much deeper than anything I had ever done because I was not getting feedback from my community as I was writing. I also learned about being able to meet yourself where you are and understand that you’re capable of the things that others see in you too, as long as you keep staying committed to it. I want people to know that they’re not alone. If they’re feeling confused, lost or unfulfilled, it’s totally within their power to shift that, but it does feel like a really lonely journey when you’re going through it.”

‘I wanted to give a platform to people that are missing so that victims gain closure and some comfort.’

Brentwood

“I’ve always had an eye for radio and television. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in school, and I was a little intimidated growing up because nobody was going to school for TV. I had to take a leap of faith. I obtained a degree in radio and television and created a platform called ‘Tee Talk’ on which I became known as Ms. Tee Talk. My goal was to give back to Long Island, so I have interviewed more than 100 people, from chefs, to photographers, to people who have their own businesses. Long Island didn’t have that, and it has been great to see the light on people’s faces when they are made to feel included. People from all over the country have now been on the show. It has been an amazing journey.

It’s a big risk to be in TV because you have to know somebody or you have to do cartwheels, but it’s worth it.

“I also wanted to test my skills a little bit, so I created a show called ‘Missing On Long Island.’ I wanted to give a platform to people that are missing so that victims gain closure and some comfort. The first episode is about Sofia McKenna, which went viral with over 220,000 views on YouTube. The second episode just came out. Their storylines are about what happened before they went missing. Hundreds of thousands of people have gone missing on Long Island in the last 20 years, and there has never been a show created about it. Now I have been working on ‘Tee Talk’ and ‘Missing on Long Island’ for the past 8 years. I edit, shoot, and do everything for them. It hasn’t been the smoothest journey, but when I know that people have smiles on their faces when they come onto ‘Tee Talk,’ or concerned parents and family members on ‘Missing on Long Island’ have that platform, it definitely makes me feel accomplished. I have learned that practice makes permanent.

“It’s important to invest in yourself. It’s always important to pour into yourself and to keep learning. I pride myself on my work ethic and staying connected to my Long Island roots. It’s a big risk to be in TV because you have to know somebody or you have to do cartwheels, but it’s worth it. Those two shows, which are very different, are my entire life. I always put my heart, energy and time into them to really make them boom and people love it.”

‘When I’m an EMT, that’s my job — I’m not a theater teacher. I juggle two worlds in that capacity. It really is weird and it’s wonderful.’

Northport

“Eventually, you let the universe choose for you and I think that’s why I became a teacher and, later, an EMT as well. More than 25 years ago, I had a career as a performer. I was working in regional theaters and with international tours. When my wife and I got married we realized that to have a family we had to be in the same place at the same time, so I went to earn my master’s degree and quickly lucked out with Syosset High School (SHS) because they were looking to start a theater program.

To be able to help somebody you know in their time of need, when they’re scared, is special.

“As a theater teacher, I get to see students create and learn in a unique way. My focus has always been on giving students a solid foundation so that if they want to go into the theater business, they are able to but even if they don’t, they have a foundation in problem-solving and looking at things through a different perspective and the discipline of creating that’s going to serve them in any profession. I never directed a darn thing before I started at SHS. All of these years later, I sometimes still think I have no clue what I’m doing. Other times, I sit back on closing night of a show and I think, ‘Wow. These kids really created something and I got to be a part of that.’ I have also been an EMT for eight years. I wanted to be able to help the community and I can ride a bike with the Northport Bike Squad, so I am able to combine two things I’m good at. Since I’ve joined the department, my family has felt more connected to the community. Often I go on calls and it’s somebody we know. To be able to help somebody you know in their time of need, when they’re scared, is special. You see them look up at you and realize that you’re somebody they know so they relax because they can trust you. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to help people in that way. In the summer I was a set medic for a couple of documentaries and commercials. I love working on the movie sets because of the atmosphere and creativity. When I’m an EMT, that’s my job – I’m not a theater teacher. I juggle two worlds in that capacity. It really is weird and it’s wonderful. I don’t have a lot of money to give to causes and support things like I would want to, so I give my time.”

‘If you are persistent enough with what you are doing, you can make it here. There’s so much opportunity.’

Albertson

“When I came to the U.S. from India in 2011, I had my own image of what it would be like. I had no idea! I was 21 and I came with my entire family. I learned quickly there are three things you need here: the English language; to understand the internet; and to figure out driving. Without all of that you are handicapped. I used a computer in India, but it wasn’t mandatory and driving was completely different. We came to the U.S. because we have a lot of family here and we wanted a better education and life. This was always a dream. The immigration process took a very long time, much longer than anyone would think. In India, I was a pharmacy major and I had completed two years of college.

“When I came to the U.S. the same degree was very challenging and expensive. I wanted to switch majors because I didn’t enjoy it. My professor recommended that I work in a summer camp as a counselor. It was the best thing to happen to me. I was supposed to take care of the kids, but they were taking care of me. They were a great population to learn English from and they helped me learn about the culture. I started taking classes at Nassau Community College for physical therapy and doing volunteer hours in a physical therapy office with a great mentor. I was like a kid in a candy store as I learned about all of the equipment. I earned my license and now I am officially a physical therapy assistant.

I always need to look at the whole picture. If patients come for their back or their knee, there is usually a lot more going on. I’m not going to fix every problem, but I can be a good listener.

“When the pandemic hit, we were furloughed and repurposed for a few months. I was working the COVID Call Center. In the beginning I had no idea what I was doing but I learned how to help. I also made a list of people we were treating in the office and would call them to make sure they were okay. I always need to look at the whole picture. If patients come for their back or their knee, there is usually a lot more going on. I’m not going to fix every problem, but I can be a good listener. I’m still looking into other careers. I like what I do but I don’t want to limit myself. I can always grow. Since coming to the U.S., I have learned that I can do so much and that I shouldn’t give up. If you are persistent enough with what you are doing, you can make it here. There’s so much opportunity.”

‘I love that we’re able to bring communities together.’

North Babylon

“My mom is an immigrant from Colombia and my dad is an American, so I grew up in both cultures. But I didn’t always have a connection to culture. Being bicultural, I want to ensure my four kids had connection to culture. Through having conversations with other bicultural moms who are second or third generation Latinas raising American-born children, I saw they had some of the same concerns as me. We all want to make sure our kids’ cultural identity is nurtured.

“In 2014, I created Latina Moms Connect. We focus on social networking, facilitated dialogues and connecting communities to culture and tradition. For example, we’ll have Sofrito Sunday, a gathering of women and children at a member’s house, and we’ll make sofrito, a seasoning base in Latino cooking. We also have Bochinche Brunch, where moms discuss how they don’t feel connected to their communities. They mention being the only Latinos on the block and their worries for their kids in schools where they might be one of a handful of Latinos in classrooms.

At brunch, they’re in the park playing with other kids who have these things in common. They sense that connectedness because of a shared identity with one another.

“The kids don’t really identify because other kids don’t look like them, sound like them, etc. At brunch, they’re in the park playing with other kids who have these things in common. They sense that connectedness because of a shared identity with one another. We also have events and community celebrations, such as Parrandas Navideña with a Twist, a holiday caroling event in which we get musicians, visit a nursing home and travel throughout the communities singing Spanish holiday songs. We’ve put it together so families can introduce that kind of tradition to their kids, their communities and travel with us sharing it. We’ve also done events celebrating Three Kings Day, and we’re always found marching in the Hispanic Day and Puerto Rican Day parades.

“When COVID hit we did language interpretation at testing sites. Our members gave Latinos guidance on what to do once their test was complete, how to monitor themselves and we give out resources on how to stay safe. We also helped with food distribution. Our members came through. I love that we’re able to bring communities together. We have grown friendships throughout this group that I know will be everlasting.”

‘Working with dogs has taught me to calm down, be present, and live in the moment.’

Glen Cove

“My ex and I had a dachshund and we inadvertently created a monster out of her. She constantly had to be near me. We thought it was adorable, but we created a lot of separation anxiety in her. She wasn’t able to healthily cope on her own so I wanted to fix the problem. That was why I started researching and taking classes, which eventually led to training. I tried every tool imaginable on her. Fast forward to two years later and my new puppy, Dylan, was scared of everything. He didn’t want anybody to come up to him. Like most people, I thought, ‘I just want a dog to love.’ But when you think about how most people love an animal- giving food, treats, affection…none of that worked with Dylan. He wanted his space. It was a real wake up call for me.

Just as there’s a hierarchy in our world, there’s a hierarchy in their world too. Very often we don’t respect their space; then we expect them to listen to us and respect ours.

“When dealing with a fearful dog you can do more harm than good. I started out doing the typical positive-only training. It evolved from there because I realized that doesn’t always work. Loving any animal is broken down into relationships. People need to establish leadership with the dog, building trust, respecting the dog’s space, having them respect their space, having clear consistent rules, boundaries, and routines. I focus on the relationship portion of training. I owe that to Dylan because twelve years later, my little old man has come out of his shell and he will go up to people wagging his tail. He is good friends with Odee, my Hurricane Sandy rescue. I am a better trainer because of Dylan. I’m proud of where he is now. Since my training journey began I have spent a week working with Cesar Millan on his ranch. He taught me not to force relationships with dogs. Just as there’s a hierarchy in our world, there’s a hierarchy in their world too. Very often we don’t respect their space; then we expect them to listen to us and respect ours.

“Working with dogs has taught me to calm down, be present, and live in the moment. That helps give them the leadership they need from me. It has taught me to be more confident. People follow unstable leaders; dogs don’t. Dogs take work. It’s our world and we brought them into it, so we have to teach them how to navigate that.”