‘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

‘We’re here to make sustainability cool, fun and accessible.’

Albertson

“Peter and I knew each other growing up playing tennis tournaments in our teenage years. We committed at the same time to play at Williams College, where we’re seniors. We’d walk to tennis practice and see Solo cups littered on streets and across campus, and they’re not easily recyclable. Williams is by no means a party school, but we’d see [cups everywhere] and we’d think how big of an issue this must be at other college campuses.

“We started the company Earth Brands about two years ago. We launched with our first product called Earth Caps, hats made from recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton. We wanted to give back and make it something meaningful. We’re surrounded by mountains [in college] and we appreciate nature. But we were also seeing climate change and pollution from plastic. So, for every hat that we sell, we donate $5 to environmental organizations. Make A Change World installs trash barriers in rivers in Indonesia to stop trash outflow into oceans. The Bondh E Shams organization uses solar panels to pump water from aquifers to places around the world that need fresh water. We’ve donated over $15,000. Then we came up the idea of Earth Cups, which is our focus. We’re here to make sustainability cool, fun and accessible.

This summer, we’ll be producing all our products here in the United States. We’re really excited about that. It’s a big leap, but we know it’s the right thing to do.

“We thought there must be a better solution, and we did research and landed on Earth Cups, 16-ounce plant-based biodegradable and compostable cups. They can turn into soil in about 90 days. We launched that last April. It’s been awesome to see the growth on college campuses, to see the movement we’ve been building in our generation. We have about 2,000 college ambassadors who help us build up our brand.

“Last summer, we started to focus on breweries, bars, stadiums and festivals across the U.S. This summer, we’ll be producing all our products here in the United States. We’re really excited about that. It’s a big leap, but we know it’s the right thing to do. We’re hiring people and expanding into new products and materials, looking into seaweed and algae as an alternative to plastic. It’s crazy how interested companies are and how much demand is out there. From coffee shops to restaurants to big stadiums, this is definitely on everybody’s mind, and we’re happy that it is.”

Interviewed by Rachel O’Brien – Morano

‘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.”