‘I always wanted to fight for the just cause.’

Oscar Michelen, Albertson

“I was meant to be a lawyer. I was 3 years old when I came to America. As an immigrant, I can fully relate to the Latino law community’s experience of arriving into a new country and not knowing the language or the culture. More importantly, knowing their needs and struggles from my own personal experience motivates me to make sure they have the same opportunity to succeed and become contributing citizens in American society.

“I graduated from law school in 1986 and started practicing litigation four years later. I love my practice and coming to work. What I do can be frustrating at times, but that’s what the law is: frustrating. The court system can be very, very daunting, so my firm prides itself on being able to help small businesses and individuals get through the court system.

Law school gave me the foundation to start practicing, but I knew I wanted to pursue this field back in high school in the Bronx. I was a student in an AP history class taking an exam with a few other classmates. Our proctor cut our exam short by 40 minutes. None of us finished the test. I knew this wasn’t right, and I filed a petition with the signatures of my classmates to retake the exam. I had to get approval from Albany. My teacher didn’t think I would succeed, but I did. We all were able to retake the exam. This always stuck in the back of my head; I always wanted to fight for the just cause.

“I have exonerated nine men in the past 16 years for crimes they did not commit. I’ve been able to help these individuals, who have been wronged in the worst way possible, gain a measure of their freedom back.”

I want students to see me, a Latino lawyer and professor, and know they can get the big law jobs.

“I’m an adjunct lecturer, and this fall, I’m teaching a new class that I developed. It’s called “Under the Color of Law,” and it explains how Long Island has become segregated due to government policies. My parents always stressed the importance of education. I want students to see me, a Latino lawyer and professor, and know they can get the big law jobs. I want to help them get there. It’s really important not only to teach, but to teach at a diverse school.

“I’ve been on the board of the Long Island Hispanic Association for a number of years, and I’ll be president starting this September. We have a number of programs to help our members. Our goals are to provide community outreach, legal education and social networking. Some of the things we do is that we support food pantries across Long Island, host prom dress drives every year and offer bilingual legal education.

Interviewed by Melanie Gulbas

‘I thought about teaching, and my wife was completely supportive and told me to go for it.’

Christopher Diehl, Massapequa

“I’m a CPA by trade. I was in accounting for five years, and then I transitioned into finance. I was working at my job for very long hours. Sometimes not getting home until 10 or 11 o’clock at night, and my wife was doing the same thing. One day we were talking, and we thought, this is not great, and it’s not the best for our kids. We both decided it was time for a change. I thought about teaching, and my wife was completely supportive and told me to go for it.

“My first day of student teaching, I was 36 years old, and I go into a seventh-grade classroom, and I was petrified. A grown man facing 12-year-olds. But every year since then, it’s been better and easier and more interesting. It took me a few years to feel like I was a good, competent teacher. Now I feel I fully understand exactly what I need to do. I totally get the kids and where they’re coming from and what they individually need to succeed.

“On the first day of school, I tell the kids, this is where math gets difficult, but they’re here because it’s achievable. There’s nothing that they can’t do. It’s just a matter of creating the path and understanding the obstacles and how to overcome them. And that’s really what my job is, to help them navigate understanding what the goals are and what the obstacles are. I truly value the rapport and atmosphere that we have in our classroom. I want it to be friendly and open. I love talking about music and baseball with my students.

“In life, you’re never going to be asked to solve a quadratic formula. But your ability to look at given information, synthesize it and come up with a solution and then understand what the conclusion is and how it applies to the problem, is something you’re going to do every day.

“This little piece of the lunar module was given to me my last year as a gift by a student who is now an aerospace engineer. She told me that I inspired her to do math. And I have many letters from kids who say I have something to do with their success, and they’ve all done such amazing things. It’s so humbling for them to say that I had something to do with that. It’s such an incredible feeling.

“You hear a lot of bad things about this younger generation, but that’s because they haven’t met these kids yet. They are going to be what propels us forward. They are thoughtful and intelligent, and they have more perspective than I did at 16 and 17. They give me hope for the future.”

Interviewed by Maggie Melito

‘I realized that I was a healer by nature.’

Gillian Woods, Patchogue

“When I was 10 years old, I had a terrible case of acne that made me feel incredibly insecure about my skin. I would stand in front of the mirror every morning, trying to cover up my blemishes. But no matter how much foundation and concealer I applied, it felt like makeup could only do so much. I truly needed a solution that would heal my skin, rather than just temporarily cover it up. It was during those moments that my passion for skin care and makeup truly ignited. I became determined to find a way to not only improve my own complexion but to help others struggling with their skin as well.

“I enrolled in the New York Institute of Beauty and dedicated myself to learning everything there was to know about skin care. It was at the institute that I discovered my true calling. I learned how to properly care for all skin types and provide specialized facials tailored to each individual’s needs.

“The secret was in manipulating the ingredients to ensure that the skin responded positively to the treatments. No two clients were the same, and I took great pride in creating customized treatment plans for everyone who walked through my door. But my true joy came not just from transforming clients’ skin, but also from helping them embrace their own natural beauty. I realized that I was a healer by nature, and creating a relaxing environment was just as important to me as the services I provided. I wanted every person who stepped into my studio to feel a sense of peace and tranquility, knowing that they were in capable hands. Seven years ago, I embarked on a journey that filled me with a sense of accomplishment and a desire to share my passion with the world.

“Today, I dedicate my days to massaging and rejuvenating my clients, not just transforming their physical appearance, but also healing their minds and souls. Turning my passions into a career has been the greatest reward, allowing me to make a daily difference in the lives of others. Embracing my love for skin care, I am grateful for the opportunity to help others discover their natural beauty.”

Interviewed by Starr Fuentes

‘My dream is to make it easier for families with food allergies and for those who just want to make a better carbon footprint on the world.’

Kimberle Lau, Syosset

“I’ve always thrived in businesses that were entrepreneurial. My love language is innovation. Along the way, I’ve also had a passion for baking, and when I became a mom, I became a healthier baker because I was so keen on feeding my kids with only healthy, wholesome ingredients.

“After my first pregnancy 12 years ago when I was 31, I became lactose and egg intolerant. I was having stomach issues, and I finally realized it was every time I had dairy, so I had to learn to modify my diet.

“It was tough because then it wasn’t a major trend. Then in 2020, during COVID, I learned I was at high risk for breast cancer and eliminated soy from my diet. I had surgery, and in the wake of that, as I was recovering, I was feeling like, What’s my purpose? What do I want to do with the rest of my life?

“I left corporate America and had a side hustle where I was baking for local clients in my neighborhood: healthier cupcakes, cakes, doughnuts and muffins. I realized it was hard for many people to really enjoy a treat because of their dietary restrictions. I thought it be great to have something easy like a mix that you just add oil or plant milk and water and can make delicious treats.

I call myself the founder and chief baker, but on social media I nickname myself as a plant-based baking mama.

“Last summer, I decided to take a chance on myself and try to launch this business. I created mixes earlier this year and partnered with Drexel University and their incubator lab to develop the mixes. I launched plant-based baking mixes, Bake Me Healthy, in May. They’re gluten-free, vegan and free of the top nine allergens, because baking should be inclusive.

“They’re also made with upcycled ingredients, creatively taking food that would normally go to waste and finding a purpose and a new use for it, like coffee cherry flour.

“It’s just like working in an entrepreneurial culture. I try to be scrappy, nimble and quick. I’m launching an oatmeal pancake and waffle mix and then a banana bread and muffin mix. I call myself the founder and chief baker, but on social media I nickname myself as a plant-based baking mama.

“My dream is to make it easier for families with food allergies and for those who just want to make a better carbon footprint on the world, but not at the risk of compromising your health.”

Interviewed by Liza Burby

‘I had to stop volunteering during COVID, and that was terrible. I missed it so much.’

Gail Case, Roslyn

“I’ve always loved helping people. When I was in high school, I was a candy striper, and I really liked it. In 2000, my daughter and son had moved out of the house, and I was looking for something to do. I thought about going to a hospital and doing that again.

“Many years ago, I worked for my dad, who owned [the clothing line] Members Only, but I didn’t want a paying job. I wanted to do something as a volunteer.

“I decided I would walk into North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and put in an application. I got a call quickly for an interview. They asked me what department I’d like to work in. Back then, I asked to help in the gift shop, and after that I worked at the front desk in the lobby, welcoming people to the hospital and helping people find where they needed to be.

“I enjoyed the gift shop, but I knew I wanted to get upstairs and work in a surgical waiting room. I wanted to walk people down to PACU, which is the recovery room, and check people in for surgery and talk to their loved ones while they’re waiting for surgery. I asked to be moved there, and they said yes.

It makes me feel terrific. Every day, it’s a different experience.

“I’ve been working in the surgical waiting room for 14 years. My job includes checking in the patients and talking to their loved ones. I also help the doctors. When they come in after surgery, I show them where the family is sitting. It makes me feel terrific. Every day, it’s a different experience.

“Recently, we had an older couple who needed to get home and didn’t know how to call an Uber, so I did it for them. That couple’s son wrote me a beautiful thank you letter. I have six awards in my house for working at North Shore Manhasset for years and for my work.

“I had to stop volunteering during COVID, and that was terrible. I missed it so much. They took us out in March 2020, and we didn’t get to go back until late winter 2022. Working in the hospital – just to give and help someone else – it’s just the biggest joy for me. I get all choked up even thinking about it!”

Interviewed by KJ Bannan

‘Finding this side of my family has been one of the most rewarding things.’

Carol Kushner, Ocean Beach

“Finding out in 1979 that I was mixed-race on my dad’s side has been just an ongoing process of meeting the family and discovering ancestors. Every year I stop in Charleston, South Carolina, and I do a little archival research. I find out a little more about who my family was, where they’re buried, what their stories were.

“One of the things I found out about my third great-grandfather in Charleston was that the family needed to carry papers so they wouldn’t be enslaved. These papers are dated in the 1700s. They were known in Charleston as freed people of color that had come to Charleston around the year 1779. The common ancestors are referred to in these documents as being of the Moorish race. My third great-grandfather’s family had to carry these papers. The papers state who was covered by this document, not only my third great-grandfather, but his daughters.

“It was common during the time that somebody had to vouch for you to say you were known as a free person of color. In this case, a lawyer, Henry Rutledge, vouches for the family. Their common ancestor came from Morocco as a domestic.

“In 1979, I was 27 and finally began to find out about the true roots of my family. Being raised Italian and Irish, I marched in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade with my Brownie troop. My mom had four sisters; all worked in the garment center as seamstresses and managers.

“I didn’t feel connected to parts of that family. It turned out the things that I loved to do were from the other side, from my dad’s side. They’re singers, social workers, librarians. I started out as a librarian and became a social worker. So it seemed like these things were in my DNA. Finding this side of my family has been one of the most rewarding things.

“Was I angry, angry that I wasn’t raised with this family? Yes, but I came to understand that my dad being light enough to pass gave him certain benefits in society. He could join the sanitation union. He became an officer in the union.

After a while you say, oh, I’d love to see that family again, but we don’t see them and [I] stopped asking after a while.

“My parents divorced when I was 15, which meant from the time I was 15 to the age of 21, I did not see my dad. Divorce usually meant that one person was kind of cut out of the picture and most often the father in those days. I was born in 1952 and had two older sisters.

“My grandmother on my father’s side was still alive, but he never took us to meet her. The separation was almost like thinking of a door closing when my parents married. It was, I guess. They made a bargain with one another. His family lived in Harlem. We lived in the Bronx. We were close by. It was easy for my mom to explain why we didn’t see my father’s family, because she would cut people off. It wasn’t uncommon for mom to say, someone is not good.

“We saw my dad’s brother’s family once when I was 5 or 6. My father took me and my middle sister, just the two of us, to Mount Vernon. We had an amazing day. Went to a picnic, had a Hula-Hoop contest, but I never saw them after that. I did notice they were browner than me. It stuck in my head all those years that something was not being explained to me, but I didn’t get any answers.

“After a while you say, oh, I’d love to see that family again, but we don’t see them, and [I] stopped asking after a while. When we did reconnect; they had a picture of that day. They said, ‘We remember you from that day.’ It was a painful situation.

“My parents felt like they were protecting us. They were going to raise us as white. They didn’t want people of color to come to our neighborhood. My dad’s sisters are a variety of colors, but my dad was very fair.

“We had a family reunion, and it was a color palette from the blond, blue-eyed to dark African looking. Literally, the color palette was a spectrum of color. My dad had four sisters and a brother; each one went in different directions. My uncle married a mixed-race lady, an aunt married a mixed-race man. My Aunt Sarah is the most interesting of the group. She’s turning 104 in September, and she has been really my rock during this whole process. She has answered all the questions I had, given me all of her memories.”

I confronted my mom about keeping this secret, saying, “Did you expect to keep the secret, till you died?” She said, “I almost did, if it wasn’t for you and your big mouth.”

“Aunt Sarah is an amazing person with a beautiful voice. She sang for a church in Harlem and became a Women’s Army Corps member in World War II. They needed entertainers for the Negro troops, as they were called in those days. Sarah toured Asia. When she left, they gave her a $7,000 stipend. Sarah wanted to buy her mom a house, but Grandma said, no, go to college. She went to Howard University and met a wonderful black man, Uncle Ed.

“She decided she wasn’t going to straddle the color line like her siblings because of what she saw in my dad’s marriage and her sister’s marriage – Aunt Beverly married a Jewish man, then a black man – but never really found a spot for herself. Sometimes people of mixed parentage are told they are not white enough or black enough. There’s this mid-place for people of mixed parentage and race.

“My family’s common ancestor came to the country in 1779. Imagine how many classifications this family has had through every census – colored, mulatto and Negro. In my dad’s case, he crossed the line and became white at some point. I’ve never really been able to figure out when he did that. It was a moment in his space where he checked the box as white.

“He threw himself a party when he was 65, and there was his brother, who I remembered from years ago. I gave him the third degree about my family that’s been hidden from me. He sent me some photos and papers. This was the document from South Carolina. To find that my dad’s family had been here since 1779 was quite an eye-opener. It’s an amazing unfolding of a story of a family in America that in fact had to hide their roots in fear of being discriminated against.

“I confronted my mom about keeping this secret. ‘Did you expect to keep the secret, ’til you died?’ I asked. She said, ‘I almost did, if it wasn’t for you and your big mouth.’

“At my father’s funeral in Harlem years ago, I was surprised by how many people came. A man asked me who I was. I said I was Richard’s daughter. ‘Whose Richard?’ he asked. Then I said I was ‘Dick Fordham’s’ daughter, the name he went by in his old neighborhood. ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘You’re one of the girls that was hidden away.’”

Interviewed by Shoshanna McCollum

‘I get asked to do Carol Burnett a lot, and I love that; you just laugh the whole time.’

Marc Courtade, Freeport

“I’m not a renaissance man. I like what I like. I have my interests — musical theater and classic motion pictures. I worked in the not-for-profit arts world for 30-plus years, starting at New York City Opera in the administrative offices. I went from there to Lincoln Center.

“I took a slight detour for a few years in financial services for one reason, full-tuition reimbursement. I got my master’s degree paid for in management and urban policy, specializing in not-for-profit management. I was at Tilles Center for 17 years in fundraising and as a business manager, which I think meant doing whatever no one else wanted to do. (I could push paper with the best of them.) From there, I took a job as the director of the Huntington Arts Council and was there for seven years.

Long Island is a smart crowd; they know this stuff. It keeps me on my toes.

“I retired about 18 months ago, but I’ve always done these lectures. I’ve been on the program at Jericho library every month since 2010. Now it’s a good retirement gig; it’s a labor of love. I started talking about opera and musical theater, then added classic movies because people love them. I write new material once a month for Jericho. I was trying to write about Harry Belafonte for years, but once he passed away, there was so much material. Tony Bennett is in the hopper; I think November.

“I get asked to do Carol Burnett a lot, and I love that; you just laugh the whole time. I love doing Julie Andrews; she is probably why I got interested in musical theater. I don’t get asked to do opera a lot anymore. I just did Renée Fleming, and I’m doing Maria Callas on what would have been her 100th birthday.

“For New York Council on Humanities, I developed three talks — the Rodgers and Hammerstein era, ethnic musicals, and the third, which I’m reviving, is on the Latino and the Broadway musical. I think it’s fascinating, and some people still like this stuff. The audience reacts wonderfully.

“Long Island is a smart crowd; they know this stuff. It keeps me on my toes. I look things up. I do my research, and I do it carefully, remembering just because you see something in Wikipedia doesn’t mean it’s true. People are all too happy to tell you that you made a mistake.”

Interviewed by Barbara Schuler

‘I grew up eating no chips, and no processed foods whatsoever.’

Girolamo Maniscalchi, East Norwich

“I grew up in a small town in Sicily. In my family, farming has been a cherished tradition passed down from one generation to the next. From the earliest of my memories, I can vividly recall farming with my father, surrounded by nature. We raised our own animals, we grew our own vegetables. The value and appreciation for cultivating whole foods and produce were ingrained in me from an early age. I grew up eating no chips, and no processed foods whatsoever. My mom, she was a stay-home-mom, and she just prepared everything from breakfast to dinner. To this day, I continue her culinary legacy.

We make everything in-house, from our fresh mozzarella to our dough.

“In 2007, I met my wife, and our relationship grew serious. She suggested that I move to Long Island with her for three months to see how I liked it. That decision changed my life. Sixteen years later, we have two beautiful children and call East Norwich our home. Despite having a pharmacy degree, I desired a career with flexible hours to be close to my children and cook for them. I ventured into the restaurant and distribution business, allowing me to spend time with my family while consulting for the industry. Although I loved the restaurant business, I wanted to escape the demanding hours. This led my wife and I to the idea of a mobile wood-fire oven. Now I am teaching my children how to handcraft fresh pizza with locally sourced ingredients and whole foods all over the Island. And they love it! Long Island for three months out of the year, we make the most beautiful vegetables ever. It reminds me of how I used to help my father’s farm growing up in Sicily.

“My children love to top the pies with the toppings. We make everything in-house, from our fresh mozzarella to our dough. I want my customers to eat a whole pizza and feel still light; they want more. Some of our popular pies are the Margarita and Brooklyner. I am so happy I get to spend time with my family and make people happy with my pies. To anyone who is looking to start their own business, my advice is, don’t start running before you start walking. There are going to be bad days and good days, but as long as you believe in yourself, you can do anything. And of course, family support is the number one. I do everything for them.”

Interviewed by Starr Fuentes

‘I followed the fake it ’til you make it strategy. Who am I to start a business? But I did.’

Betty Cole, Commack

“I went to SUNY New Paltz to become an art teacher. Finding art teaching jobs was hard. I became a first-grade teacher, spending years doing things other than art, but an artist must create.

“Eight years ago, I left my job. My husband and I went out for dinner. We shared a bottle of wine to celebrate what comes next. When we finished, the waiter threw the bottle in a bin. I asked if it was a recycling bin. He said, ‘No, we just throw it out.’ Well, I drank the wine, I paid for it. I took the bottle with me.

“I knew that I was going keep that bottle out of a landfill. That’s the cover story. Waste is something we have control over. Without a job, I had free time. I cleaned the bottle, brought it to the beach and started painting it. Someone saw me and gave me more bottles.

“One thing led to another. It became a full-time love and business. Bars, restaurants and vineyards saved the bottles for me. I made hand-painted bottles that became olive oil and vinegar dispensers or had lights inside to become home decor.

People come to my workshops for different reasons. It’s more than just coming to make something. It’s about the process that we go through for the time that we’re together.

“When I started to sell at art fairs, I noticed that people asked questions. They wanted to try and do it themselves. Well, I’m a teacher, artist, have a background in recreational therapy; let’s see if I could put it all together.

“I’m not going to say it was easy. I followed the fake it ’til you make it strategy. Who am I to start a business? But I did. I began to run painting workshops. My business is called Off Your Wall Art. People like to make things they can use. We repurpose wine bottles, make coasters, soap dispensers and charcuterie boards. I teach at libraries, do corporate team building, fundraising and [am] hired by people planning life events.

“My work has two components: One is I make and sell it. I’m in some retail stores, still do fairs and really love the people that I’ve partnered with. Teaching is the other part. I don’t want participants to think they’re attending art class; that will limit who the audience is. I structure programs so that everyone is successful.

“People come to my workshops for different reasons. It’s more than just coming to make something. It’s about the process that we go through for the time that we’re together.”

Interviewed by Shoshanna McCollum

‘I tell people that to this day it’s one of the biggest miracles that happened to me, other than the fact that I wasn’t killed.’

Ari Schonbrun, Cedarhurst

“That day started like any other. I got to the World Trade Center at about 8:40 a.m. My office at Cantor Fitzgerald was on the 101st floor. You had to take an elevator up to 78, and then you’d take another elevator up to 101. I started walking towards the back elevators that I needed to get to my office.

“I must have been about eight feet from that bank of elevators when there was an explosion. I thought a bomb had gone off in the elevator. The entire building shook, the lights went out, the place filled with smoke, and I was literally thrown off my feet. I was on the ground.

“People were yelling and screaming. I walk to see if I can find a way out, and I bump into a coworker of mine. Her name was Virginia. She was on the elevator that I was about to get on when the plane hit. The walls and ceiling of the elevator collapsed. There was a cable that snapped and was sparking. The jet fuel came down. There was a wall of fire.

“Virginia jumped out and suffered third-degree burns. She sees me and says, ‘Ari, thank God, please help. Please don’t leave me!’ I said to her, ‘Virginia, I promise I will not leave you.’ The irony here is Virginia and I were not good friends. She was an internal auditor, and she didn’t give me very good marks. As a matter of fact, she almost got me fired. And there we were, she and I.

“As an Orthodox Jew, we have mercy on everybody. Our past didn’t matter. She was another human being who was in trouble. I was the guy that God put there. And of course, I said, ‘Come with me. We’re gonna get out of here.’

“We went down the stairwell in a line. I remember that because I said to Virginia, ‘If you have to fall, fall forward on me, and I will catch you and carry you down.’ We got down three flights when suddenly, my phone rings. Meanwhile, there’s no service.

“I tell people that to this day it’s one of the biggest miracles that happened to me, other than the fact that I wasn’t killed. I picked it up, and it was my wife. She was crying, telling me something about planes going into the building. I said to her, ‘I’m on my way down. I’ll call you when I get out of the building.’ I hung up the phone, not realizing, of course, it would be hours until I spoke to her again.”

I thought to myself, you know what, if she sits down, she may never get up. And if she doesn’t get up, she’s gonna die.

“We got down to about the 50th floor. Virginia says, ‘I can’t go on. I can’t do it.’ My first instinct was, I’ll have her sit down and rest. And then I thought to myself, you know what, if she sits down, she may never get up. And if she doesn’t get up, she’s gonna die. That wasn’t on my agenda for the day. I said, ‘No, Virginia, you can do this!’ We had some water, and I gave her a drink. Then I poured it on her arms to give her some relief from the burns.

“Now, I’m turning into a coach. I’m counting down, ‘45th floor, 44th floor — you’re doing great!’ We got down to the first floor and the fire warden who was leading us kept going down. I said, ‘Where are you going?’ He says, we gotta get out through the garage. I turned to Virginia. I said, ‘We already walked down 78 flights of stairs. What’s another four or five?’ We got down two flights when suddenly, the door on the first floor opens and some guy yells out, ‘Where are you people going?’ I said, ‘We’re going out through the garage.’ The guy says, ‘No, you can’t get out through the garage. You gotta come back up here and get out through the first floor.’

“So, I turned to Virginia and said to her, ‘We gotta go back up two flights.’ Now here’s the thing. I later learned there were people in that garage that never got out. Who was that guy? An angel? Who knows? We finally got out of the building. I stopped a cop and said, ‘I have a burn victim here. Where do we go?’ He directed us across the street to a triage center. An ambulance pulled up and they put Virginia in. She turns to the driver and says, ‘We’re not leaving unless Ari comes with us!’ I look at the ambulance driver. He looks at me and says, ‘Fine, hop in the front.’ I get into the front; we pull away. We were one of only a few ambulances that actually got away from the scene that day.

“Let me ask you a question. Who saved whose life? If she wouldn’t have insisted that I get into that ambulance, I would’ve been standing at the base of that building when it collapsed, and I would be dead. But she insisted that I get into that ambulance, and that’s why I’m here. We became very good friends. We stayed in touch to this day.”

Interviewed by Jay Max