‘If there’s any lesson to be learned, it’s that there’s no right path when it comes to art.’

Rockville Centre

“It took overcoming depression and being an introvert to put my stuff out there. For a long time, my work was only found in my sketchbooks. A lot of people didn’t know I was an artist. My mom and my girlfriend were really pushing for me to put myself out there more. I was bartending and in the service industry. I wasn’t passionate about bartending. When I was behind the bar, I wasn’t happy.

“It wasn’t until Hops Scotch Bottle Shop in Deer Park saw my work on Instagram and were like, ‘Hey I like your art style, can you put it on our wall?’ The minute I did that, something clicked. I felt a rush working big and outside of my sketchbook.

It completely changed how I viewed what a community can be.

“It’s funny how bartending and the friends I made through the bar industry fast-tracked my art career. If there’s any lesson to be learned, it’s that there’s no right path when it comes to art. It’s already pretty atypical, so there’s no right or wrong way to do it.

“I grew up in what I think was the golden age of animation on TV. Every time I turned on the TV, there was a cool cartoon, usually a little alternative where my parents didn’t want me to watch it because they might use a bad word or something. I came from kind of a blue-collar background. My mom was a waitress, my dad was an engineer. It wasn’t until high school, until people started calling me a cartoonist, and I was like, ‘Oh I didn’t even know that was a thing.’

“I went to art school for cartooning and illustration. There was one teacher that told me kids would never like my stuff. It stuck with me. Now I go to places where my murals are up, and kids are honed in on it. Kids are the most honest critics. That makes me feel like the happiest; I’m elated anytime a kid digs my stuff.

“I’m not a super political person, but because of the kindness everyone in Lindenhurst has shown me, I’m very pro-small business. These people built their own visions from the ground up. It changed how I view art. It’s not just a high-brow thing; it could be a tool that businesses can use to make themselves more presentable or more fun. It completely changed how I viewed what a community can be. Everybody is so eager to go support their local businesses.”

Interviewed by Tracey Cheek

‘I want to help make people’s lives better because every day is a gift.’

Bay Shore

“I grew up in a home that was very scary and unstable, but one positive outlet for me was the theater. My mother loved taking me to shows at local community centers, and I fell in love with the art of acting. I was part of the theater crowd in high school.

“I initially went to college to major in communications, but I quickly switched to theater. After I earned my undergraduate degree, I moved to New York City and obtained a certificate in musical theater. While acting and doing voiceover work, I also got a job working as a teacher at Girlspace, an organization in East Harlem that catered to underserved youths.

I broke the cycle of abuse and others can, too.

“The kids I was working with came from very troubled home lives, and their teachers described them as disruptive. These girls had tough veneers and didn’t trust people. However, in the theater classes I taught, these kids were open and engaged.

“I brought in authors and poets to talk to them, and I inspired them to write and share their own work. It helped them build a sense of confidence and community, which put them at ease. I am a survivor of sexual abuse, and I understand what it’s like to live in an unsafe environment.

“I was so inspired by my experiences with these young ladies that I decided to earn a master’s degree in social work and made engagement with the arts part of my practice.

“While I was in graduate school, I wrote and performed in my own one-woman show and produced poetry which was later published. Many people don’t survive the kind of trauma that I experienced, but the arts allowed me to heal — the arts saved me. I did not merely survive, I thrived, and I believe that my purpose in life is to help others do the same.

“I am honored to be a keynote speaker at mental health conferences, and I tell my audiences that they can overcome troubles and find peace and happiness. I have two sons who flourished in a loving home that my husband and I created for them full of art and kindness. I broke the cycle of abuse and others can, too. I don’t want anyone to feel alone. We all have a voice that deserves to be heard. I want to help make people’s lives better because every day is a gift.”

Interviewed by Meagan Meehan

‘I saw how happy people were in fitness classes and how happy it made me.’

Seaford

“I never thought of being a fitness instructor. I was always an athlete growing up. I was going to school to be a teacher and then changed my major and ended up graduating with a communications degree. I worked in marketing in the city. This was around the time when boutique fitness really was becoming very big. I was starting to realize I didn’t like the 9-5, going on the train, being in the city. I worked in social media when it just started, so it was super fun, but I was drained. I was burned out at 24 years old. I saw how happy people were in fitness classes and how happy it made me. I was like, ‘I want to make someone happy like this. So why not make the jump?’ But at the same time, I was nervous because I was like, ‘OK, I switched from teaching to marketing; now I’m going to switch to fitness?’

“My dad was always his own boss. He always reminded me, ‘You should work for yourself. You should make your own money. If you can, start your own business somehow.’ It was always ingrained in me that I would somehow do something on my own.

“I’ve been in fitness for eight years now. Once the pandemic hit when I made an LLC, I made a website and my on-demand subscription. 2020 is when private training became bigger.

“The Long Island fitness community is a strong, tight-knit community where a lot of people know each other, have worked with one another, taken each other’s classes. It’s nice that when I think of each modality in fitness, I can think of someone to suggest for yoga, Pilates, barre, Zumba, a strength class, a nutrition coach. I love meeting people in the fitness community and creating relationships with different instructors and business owners.

“A lot of time, people are scared to just start. People come in and they want to go in the back corner. It’s like, ‘No, come closer to me so you can actually see what you’re doing.’ They also are already comparing themself to the person that’s in the front, in the great outfit, and doing everything without taking a break. You don’t know how long that person has been doing that. Just pay attention to yourself and your body. You just have to get out of your head and step into the workout.”

Interviewed by Tracey Cheek

‘There is something magical about being able to be a part of something as big as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.’

North Massapequa

“When Macy’s was recruiting for volunteers at my college to help out at its Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2007, I signed up immediately, and it was a great decision! We make people happy!

“I love doing this as an adult, but actually, I was first involved in the parade as a child when I was growing up in Massapequa.

I hope to remain a part of it for as long as I can!

“My mom worked for ‘Sesame Street’ as the talent producer in charge of the adult cast and the Muppet performers, and I was on the show when I was a baby.

“Being a single mom, she wanted to make sure I could take part so she could be with me on Thanksgiving. I went to all the rehearsals, learned the songs and choreography, and performed alongside the ‘Sesame Street’ cast when the float got to Herald Square. It was fun and exciting because my friends and family also got to watch us live on TV as well.

“Another memorable time, it was raining and we had ponchos on for most of the parade route. Once we reached Herald Square in front of Macy’s, we threw our ponchos off and did our live performance in the downpour. We were soaked, but, hey, the show must go on!

“Today, I am part of the inflation team for the balloons as well as the vehicle management team. I help inflate the balloons, big and small, that you see going down the parade route. Under each balloon is a small tractor that is used to aid in anchoring the balloon alongside the team of balloon handlers as well as [to] measure how high the balloon is flying.

“There is something magical about being able to be a part of something as big as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Our work begins the day before on what we call Inflation Day. Parents and young kids stop by and are entranced by their favorite characters, such as the larger-than-life Snoopy or SpongeBob SquarePants.

“Since we have to get up early the next morning — around 4 a.m. — Macy’s houses us. But not at a hotel; we sleep nearby at the Hayden Planetarium inside the Museum of Natural History! This lets us stay close to the balloons.

“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is a fantastic annual tradition for New York and the millions of people who watch. I hope to remain a part of it for as long as I can!”

‘My mother wanted me to be a teacher, but school wasn’t my thing so I sought out a job on the railways.’

Bethpage

“I am a locomotive engineer who runs freight trains from Brooklyn to Suffolk. I initially got interested in railroads because of my grandfather, who lived in Huntington. When I was a kid back in the 1970s, I spent weekends with him.

“He used to take me to Greenlawn to see the freight trains being organized. Sometimes he would even take me on train rides on Thanksgiving weekends in Pennsylvania.

“My mother wanted me to be a teacher, but school wasn’t my thing so I sought out a job on the railways. In 1997, the Long Island Rail Road privatized their freight train line and formed the New York & Atlantic Railway.

It’s very rewarding to work with a charity that aims to decrease the occurrences of preventable tragedies.

“I was one of the first people hired in a starting group of 23. Ours is a fairly small operation compared to the LIRR, but we deal exclusively with freight trains and primarily export solid waste, scrap metal and construction debris, much of which ends up getting recycled.

“Although freight trains are big and noisy, they are excellent for the environment since they decrease the number of trucks on the road. Being a freight train conductor is very different from being a passenger line conductor.

“Instead of managing the traveling public and greeting riders, we spend a lot of time outside hitching the cars together and building trains for local routes. It’s hard work but good work for those who don’t mind dealing with rain, snow and heat. I love it because I think it’s wonderful not to be tied down to a desk job.

“Unfortunately, over the years, I have seen quite a few fatalities due to people trespassing on railroad tracks or cars trying to drive through crossing gates. These experiences have led me to volunteer with Operation Lifesaver, which raises public awareness about railroad safety. It’s very rewarding to work with a charity that aims to decrease the occurrences of preventable tragedies.

“Out of those original 23 employees, I am the only one still working for the company. I hold the top spot on the seniority roster for the New York & Atlantic Railroad. I have been able to raise three college-educated kids and buy a house in Bethpage because of this line of work. I’m in no rush to retire because the railroad is a stable career which has been good to me.”

Interviewed by Meagan Meehan

‘I think the most important thing I learned is that you have to just be true to yourself and treat patients as if they’re your relatives.’

South Hempstead

“I always knew I wanted to be a nurse from very early on. If you look back in my high school yearbook, they always ask: ‘Where will you be in 20 years?’ I said, ‘I’ll be head nurse, have my own floor and be in charge of the unit.’ Even for Halloween, I remember Julia Baker, played by Diahann Carroll, was the first black professional nurse on TV. When I saw her, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, she’s gorgeous in that white. I want to be just like that.’ That was another reason I wanted to be a nurse, too, but really to help people. And so, I exceeded that, thank goodness. I retired as director of nursing for the division of women and children [at Elmhurst Hospital].

“I graduated from Glen Cove High School. I started out at Howard University. I had nursing scholarships from the Chi Eta Phi Sorority Inc., which is a nursing sorority that I belong to now. My sophomore year, I was going back to school and I had a roommate, my best friend, and unfortunately, she died in a tragic accident that summer before we were supposed to go back to school on a moped. I was devastated. I just couldn’t see myself in that apartment without her. Luckily, my mother had a friend who knew someone at Adelphi University, and I was able to get into Adelphi. I graduated from Adelphi University and that was my journey.

“The last year at Adelphi, they let you concentrate and do your clinical work in the field that you love, which for me was women and children maternal health. I had a great preceptor, Rosemary Hoffman. She had graduated from Adelphi. She took me on, and she treated me as a new nurse on the unit. It was a wealth of knowledge. I saw so many different things related to maternal child and not related to maternal child. I felt like a sponge. Every time I had clinical, I was so excited to go because it was another opportunity to help people and to teach them. It was a vulnerable population, which I enjoyed working with.

“When I graduated, they offered me a job there, so I was very happy to do that. So, I worked and I had so many great mentors there, especially my preceptor, Rosemary. When I passed my boards, they offered me a job at Queens, so that’s how I got into the city health system.”

I saw women delivering on crack — the poor crack babies.

“After working some time at Queens, I became a staff nurse, assistant head nurse of a small antepartum unit. For a few months, I was the head nurse of labor and delivery in the height of the crack epidemic. I saw women delivering on crack — the poor crack babies. At that point, they would train volunteers we called ‘grandmothers’ who’d come in just to hold and soothe the babies because they were all born addicted to crack. It was a real experience trying to help these poor newborns and their moms, working closely with social work to try to help them.

“After working at Queens, I left and began to go into home care. After being in home care, I found myself having an opportunity to go to hospital ambulatory care in the women and children’s clinics. I was a supervisor in home care, and I became the assistant director of nursing at that point for the women’s health clinic. I stayed there and really tried to devise a clinic so that it was pleasing to women.

“Based on that accomplishment, I was promoted to associate director for all the clinics. That included three or four school-based clinics, other department health sites in the community and all the on-site clinics. At some point, my chief nursing officer came to me and stated they needed to make a change in some of the leadership. She wanted to know if I wanted to come to inpatient nursing for women and children. At that point, I segued into that position, where I stayed and retired.

“I’ve learned a lot in 30 years. I think the most important thing I learned is that you have to just be true to yourself and treat patients as if they’re your relatives or how they want to be treated. You have to listen when you’re in charge of a large number of staff. I tried to take time to listen to each and every one of them if they had a concern about their family, their time or anything, because people just want to be heard. Even if we didn’t agree, we could agree to disagree and try to develop some understanding. Honestly, my role I felt wasn’t as important as my staff. I could have been replaced, but when nurses don’t come to work, patients suffer, so that was the most important.”

Interviewed by Victoria Bell

‘We saw that theater and the arts are key to getting people’s attention and reflecting humanity.’

Dix Hills

“The first year we did Stage the Change, a one-day conference that encourages theatre students to get involved in global issues, I dedicated it to my mother who was a Holocaust survivor. There were so many people that made a difference and brought her to the U.S. Her story made me understand the importance of making a difference. Through teaching at Hauppauge High School, I saw how theatre is a wonderful vehicle for doing this. My students became really turned on by writing work about issues that were important to them. We saw that theatre and the arts are key to getting people’s attention and reflecting humanity.

“Theatre allows us to stand in front of people and enlighten others. My students’ writing gave them a seat at the grown-up table; adults were talking to my students about things that were important in their world. Stage the Change began in my classroom nine years ago and became an annual movement. It originally had 200 students. In 2019 we had 850 students from schools in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. Students get to meet others with similar interests and problems from a diverse group. It’s important to me that this event bridges Long Island, because we’re all in our own pockets here. It’s about listening to one another and understanding our similarities and differences. Over the years we’ve had many theatre greats speak.

“This year, on November 18, we’re at the Tilles Center with Brian Stokes Mitchell as our keynote because he used the arts platform to make a difference. I’ve always known that I’m driven, but until Stage the Change, I never realized how much. When something is a fire within me, I’ve learned that I can’t stop it. This is a monumental thing, and every year at some point in the process I think to myself, ‘Why do I do this?’ It’s a ton of work! Then I get to see the magic when kids literally grow in one day; they’re so excited to create and be engaged like global citizens. I walk away with a sense that we can do even more. There are so many ways that we can inspire kids to do the right thing. If I can make a difference by inspiring kids to learn about each other and to be even that much more present and human, that’s great.”

‘Mental health needs to be talked about more.’

Greenport

“I am a cancer survivor, a suicide-loss survivor and a Parkinson’s disease warrior. Steve and I met in 1981. We were partners for 33 years before he took his own life.

“I knew he had some mental health issues because he saw a psychiatrist once a week at the time. We believe he was bipolar since he would have both manic and depressive episodes. These episodes got closer together and lasted longer. He would manically create more races and then panic that he couldn’t handle it all. His family and I would have to step up and help until he emerged from a depressive episode.

“He took his own life on March 15, 2015, and was just 54 years old. He had attempted a few months before his suicide. After that attempt, he promised me that he would never do it again. I believed him. It was the first time that he lied to me.

“I knew he had mental health struggles, but I never expected him to take his own life. He was extremely good looking, loved by so many, and an amazing swim coach. Steve did a lot for the community. Steve and the company he built laid the foundation for the sport of triathlon on Long Island. Some of the races he created still exist today.

“He was born and raised on Long Island and went to Stony Brook University. He was a Jones Beach lifeguard, developed the triathlon landscape on Long Island, and was so well-known in the triathlon community as a coach, triathlete and race director. He coached swimmers at the Nassau Aquatic Center and in Patchogue. He also coached open water swimming at Corey Beach and TOBAY Beach. It was his mission in life to help people.

“Mental health needs to be talked about more, especially in men. He was a coach, so maybe he didn’t think he could speak up because he didn’t want his clients to know he was suffering since they looked up to him. He wanted to get better. He tried it all. He tried therapy and medications, but nothing helped him. He couldn’t get out of it. He dug himself so deep.”

‘I am sharing my story with the hope that it can help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide.’

“The day after Steve was released from a mental health facility in Arizona, he took his own life. I was with a friend in New York City when we got the call. His mom called her and told her she didn’t want me to be alone. I saw my friend’s face, and I’ll never forget it. It’s burned in my memory. It was all a blur.

“Afterwards, I felt all the emotions: anger, sadness, grief. I started writing his memoir, and it was very cathartic for me. I hadn’t published a book before, and I wasn’t a writer, but this was special to me. I also went to therapy and met some people through Facebook groups, but there weren’t many suicide survivors’ groups at the time. I built a Facebook page in Steve’s memory. I just want to help people who are going through this. I want to connect with others because I didn’t have that when I went through this. It’s tortuous. Nobody should have to go through this. Recently, I created a podcast where people who lost loved ones to suicide came on to speak about their experiences. There are some former pro triathletes on the podcast as well.

“Along with losing my partner, Steve, I also lost a good friend to suicide. His name was Michael, and I knew him for many years. We went to high school together. He always did triathlons and met and became friends with Steve through them. He died after Steve, and I just couldn’t believe it was happening again. Michael’s son, Michael Jr., was coached by Steve. Michael Jr. wrote a chapter in my book. If even one person gets help or feels supported from my book or podcast or Facebook group I created, then I’ve done my job. I just want to give people the courage to talk about mental health.

“I previously had tonsil cancer in 2007. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease just a few months after Steve’s passing. It’s horrible to witness somebody you love struggle for years. It’s my belief that the trauma triggered my Parkinson’s. I was lucky that I had people to support me, like my cousin and two close friends.

“I want to raise mental health and suicide awareness to help people. I am sharing my story with the hope that it can help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide.”

If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself, or are concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988.

When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.

The current Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, even after 988 is launched nationally.

Veterans can now dial 988 and press 1 to reach the Veteran Crisis Line.

Suicide warning signs can be found at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website at afsp.org.

Interviewed by Melanie Gulbas

‘I get my ideas from things that annoy me since that enables me to envision opportunities for improvements.’

Melville

“I have been an inventor for over 20 years and I hold 13 issued patents. I get my ideas from things that annoy me since that enables me to envision opportunities for improvements. I got the idea for my first marketed invention — the Balloon-O-Band — after my daughter, Alana, lost a balloon at Nassau Coliseum.

“My most successful items tend to be those in the home goods realm, such as Pull Ties that keep food fresher for longer; Knot Out, which removes knots from jewelry; and Eggstra Space that serves as a space-saving egg carton.

“My most recent invention is the Paper Towel Topper to keep the top of your paper towel roll clean and dry. Some inventions I manufacture and sell directly — I’ve been on QVC for almost three years — and other inventions I have licensed and earn royalties from.

“Being an inventor is very rewarding, but I want to do more; I want to help other inventors. In 2007 and 2012, respectively, I established both the Suffolk and Nassau County Inventors & Entrepreneurs clubs separately and then merged them to form the Long Island Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club in 2018.

My goal with the organization is to connect with other inventors and resources to help guide them towards success and commercialization of their ideas.

“In 2020, during the COVID lockdown, I realized that I could reach more people if I changed the name to the National Inventor Club and an online platform. The Farmingdale Small Business Development Center was very helpful to me during this evolution.

“My goal with the organization is to connect with other inventors and resources to help guide them towards success and commercialization of their ideas. I give them opportunities to pitch their concepts, meet representatives from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and network. I have been an inventor coach for 17 years and have assisted tens of thousands of inventors, especially through the monthly meetings we hold, which also helps to establish a community of creators.

“I have authored books about inventing, including ‘How to Make Money With Your Invention Idea.’ I also host a TV show and podcast called ‘Got Invention Show,’ where inventors promote their new ideas or products, and I have interviewed people such as John Tesh, ‘Shark Tank’s’ Lori Greiner, and hosted events with Alibaba.com.

“I see a lot of ideas for kitchen appliances, hardware, housewares, health and wellness, beauty, and toys and games. I know what a wonderful and rewarding feeling it is to see an invention come to realization and end up on store shelves. I am really thankful that I can consult or guide others to attain that same great feeling of accomplishment.”

Interviewed by Meagan Meehan

‘Whether you recognize what it is, there’s something in you that makes you great.’

Bay Shore

“I’ve played basketball all my life, I played college basketball. I’m an assistant coach for boys varsity basketball and head JV coach at Half Hollow Hills High School East. I started about 10 years ago, and it’s a true passion of mine. I love working with the kids and helping them develop. The other coaches and myself really help teach these kids about life and lessons through basketball.

“I’m also a paraprofessional for Half Hollow Hills High School West. I work with special needs kids. I stay with one student, make sure he does his work, stays on track, any behaviors I try to help de-escalate. You work one-on-one but you get to work with all the kids. You become someone they look forward to seeing when they come to school.

Some people never figure out what they actually love — and when you do, it’s a beautiful thing.

“Some people never figure out what they actually love — and when you do, it’s a beautiful thing. Clothing and basketball are two things I’ve been passionate about my whole life. I started a clothing line called Natural Born. It represents knowledge of self, self-elevation and understanding that everyone is born with certain talent. Whether you recognize what it is, there’s something in you that makes you great. Before the pandemic, I met a manufacturer who made sporting apparel for high school teams. I sent them my logo, to put it on shorts and other clothes, and that’s how it kicked off.

Interviewed by Rachel O’Brien – Morano