‘I’ve always believed that everybody can train like an athlete.’

Michelle Anthony, Freeport

“I have always been and fitness into sports. I grew up playing sports. When I was younger, I played lacrosse and basketball, but track is what I went the furthest with. I ran hurdles in college. I just wanted to keep up with the fitness and athletic worlds because it was a big part of me.

“After college, I ended up going into the police academy. I became a police officer, but it wasn’t something that I loved to do. I just did it for the security and for the benefits. I ended up having my son, and I left the police department. I went to work at a gym. I was doing training on the side while I was on the job, but I went to work for a gym where I became a head trainer. Then the opportunity presented itself to open up my own space. When that gym closed down, I had a decent following, so that’s when Beast Fitness came around.

Franchising is the big goal in the future. Our location right now is small, so for this location we would love to expand.

“My partner was one of the members of the old gym I worked at. We got really close through our kids, and we decided to take the leap. She’s always wanted to open the gym as well. I’ve always wanted a gym where I could push members to their potential, where they don’t even realize that they can do certain things. I’ve always believed that everybody can train like an athlete. That’s what we try to do at Beast. People have realized their full potential at Beast, and it’s become a really great community. We provide small group personal training, so you’re getting really personal attention from all the coaches. We have high-intensity interval training and strength classes. We also provide nutrition coaching and personal training.

“The first lady I delivered to was sitting on her front porch with her friends and neighbors. I felt uncomfortable, because I didn’t want to interfere, but I felt right doing this. I gave her the pie and said, ‘I’m so sorry about your husband.’ It was about a week and a half after Sept. 11, and she said, ‘My husband isn’t dead; he’s a very strong man.’ Her saying that made me more apprehensive — I wondered, ‘Am I doing the right thing here?’ Because no matter how strong he was, I knew he had probably died.

“Franchising is the big goal in the future. Our location right now is small, so for this location we would love to expand. We have a wide range of demographics, from people who’ve never worked out a day in their life to people who are avid fitness goers. We offer modifications for all the exercises, or if you’re looking to challenge yourself a little more, we offer that, too. As hard as it is owning a business, this is what I’ve always wanted to do. We’ve been growing slowly but steadily. It has been nice how we’ve been growing. Our one-year anniversary is coming up July. I am living my dream.”

Interviewed by Victoria Bell

‘People say, “So many have forgotten about 9/11, but you remember.”’

Joseph O’Connor, Freeport

“When 9/11 happened, I was devastated, like everyone was. I found myself running more and more — because I’d always been a runner. But my feelings of anxiety, apprehension and self-pity weren’t going away — the running wasn’t helping.

“I was reading obituaries in ‘The New York Times’ every day. That probably wasn’t helping either. I said, ‘I’ve got to do something.’ Rockville Centre was sending truckloads of products, like toilet paper and paper towels to Ground Zero, and they needed people to load trucks. So I was doing that for two or three days — that was active. But after two or three days, they didn’t need people.

It’s an important part of being a human being, helping people out.

“I got the pennysaver, where they listed photos, names, and addresses of people in the village who had died. In my family, traditionally, I make the apple pies for people. And New York is the Big Apple, so I thought, I should make apple pies for those who lost loved ones.

“The first lady I delivered to was sitting on her front porch with her friends and neighbors. I felt uncomfortable, because I didn’t want to interfere, but I felt right doing this. I gave her the pie and said, ‘I’m so sorry about your husband.’ It was about a week and a half after Sept. 11, and she said, ‘My husband isn’t dead; he’s a very strong man.’ Her saying that made me more apprehensive — I wondered, ‘Am I doing the right thing here?’ Because no matter how strong he was, I knew he had probably died.

“I figured out I’ve delivered about 800 pies. One family I deliver to every year, they lost a son and a son-in-law. I used to deliver to the husband and wife, now I deliver just to the wife. She said to me last year, ‘Joe, I look forward every year to that one night in the fall when I’m tasting one of your pies.’

“During COVID, I made phone calls to people before delivering the pies, just to make sure it was OK. They said, ‘Bring it!’ I deliver about 22 pies a year now. I didn’t know whether these people would accept me, whether they’d tell me to ‘get out of here,’ but the apple pies have helped me make a connection.

“People say, ‘So many have forgotten about 9/11, but you remember.’ People don’t forget about community … It’s an important part of being a human being, helping people out.”

Interviewed by Rosemary Olander Beach

‘I loved school as a kid. A kid in my class once made fun of me for smiling during a test, but I thought, “Of course I’m smiling! I know the answers!”’

Shamira Desir, Freeport

“Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked as a supervisor at a foster care agency for over 15 years. I had the pleasure of working with children from all walks of life. I wanted to make a difference in their lives, and I wanted to make their lives different. Then I started to realize the disparity in treatment of families in the courtroom. It was hard to make change when the courts had different standards and did not expect much from the population we were servicing. I began thinking that a more impactful way for me to help and use my services is not in the courtroom or in the child welfare system, but more directly in the classroom. After all those years, I transitioned from social work and decided to become a teacher. I decided to join Teach for America and got a job at the first school I applied to. As early as the first day, I realized how similar the fields were.

I am very lucky to be in this line of work.

“I loved school as a kid. A kid in my class once made fun of me for smiling during a test, but I thought, ‘Of course I’m smiling! I know the answers!’ I realized after starting to teach that a lot of kids don’t see education the same way that I did.

“The one thing I always try to do is to make ELA more fun. I try to make the lessons different and beautiful. We have meaningful conversations. Even changing your voice a little makes the kids more invested and interested. We all talk and find our perspectives at our own pace.

“I make the long commute to Coney Island every day because I have made a commitment. I adore kids. It simply takes one person telling them they did a great job, and that can change the trajectory of their day, year, academic career. I also love the art of teaching, and I love learning something new. I have always felt I was born to teach, so in some ways it feels natural.

“I feel social work has prepared me for a career in education. It has definitely helped with classroom management and meeting the children where they are at socially, academically and emotionally. I’m still meeting children where they are and helping them get through to where they are going. I am very lucky to be in this line of work.”

Interviewed by Maggie Rose Melito

‘I truly enjoy helping others; I get more out of it than I give.’

Eileen Minogue, Freeport

“As the youngest of nine siblings — eight girls and one boy — raised in Massapequa Park, family, faith and gratitude were deeply ingrained values in my upbringing. Growing up surrounded by my close-knit family, most of whom still reside on Long Island, including our extended family of nieces, nephews and their children, taught me the importance of community and compassion.

“From a young age, my mother instilled in me the value of helping others, often having me assist neighbors or friends in need. It was through these experiences that my passion for giving back was fostered. This passion was further ignited when I met a young girl named Christina Cowan, who was battling cystic fibrosis and undergoing a double lung transplant at Duke University.

I’m truly fortunate to have a village of supporters who stand by me every step of the way.

“Organizing a fundraiser for her family inspired me to dedicate myself to nonprofit work, where I found fulfillment in helping those in my community facing challenges. Currently, I am honored to hold the position of executive director at Book Fairies, a local nonprofit dedicated to sourcing books for upcycling to support our neighbors in need. My accidental journey in the nonprofit sector has been marked by a deep sense of community and a commitment to making a positive impact. It brings me immense joy to wake up every morning knowing that I am contributing to making a positive difference in the world. While there may be chaos and challenges around us, my small corner of the world allows me to concentrate on fostering positivity. Witnessing the expressions on kids’ faces when they realize they can keep the books, and hearing them share their love for reading, often marking the first book they can call their own, is truly heartwarming.

“I truly enjoy helping others; I get more out of it than I give. These moments affirm the impact we can have, one book at a time, in shaping a brighter future for these children. Making a difference is a collective effort, and I’m truly fortunate to have a village of supporters who stand by me every step of the way. I can’t thank them enough for being an integral part of the positive impact we’re making together. Reflecting on my journey, I often joke that I stumbled into my role as a nonprofit executive director, but it’s a path I am grateful to have found.”

Interviewed by Starr Fuentes

‘I see teaching as more of a long-term thing. It is a hard job, but it’s worth it as long as you love it.’

Arielle Francois, Freeport

“When I started college, I was a bio major, but I didn’t enjoy it very much. I struggled a lot, and it made it hard for me to want to be in school because I felt very defeated. I feel like a lot of STEM programs in college are very cutthroat, and it wasn’t really what I wanted to do — like I’m only doing it for family. Being Caribbean, there is a certain expectation to set an example in school. Especially me being the oldest of my siblings, I had to set that example.

“Then sophomore year, I was like, I’m gonna do what I want to do. I may not have the most lavish life, but I’m do something that I enjoy, would be good at and would give me a purpose. So, the rest of college, I majored in adolescent education with a concentration in mathematics. I scrambled to get all those credits in, as I was about a year behind, but I graduated on time.

“It is my first year teaching. It was an eye-opening experience. In undergrad, I knew the logistics of teaching, but actually being in the classroom is a different experience, especially fresh out of college. There are so many things on the job that you just don’t know until it happens. The first marking period was hard adjusting from student life to working adult. I was 21 when I started the job. Being the youngest person at my job, finding peers and people I could talk to without feeling like the kid at work, was hard. But quickly that passed, and everyone took me under.

Being Caribbean, there is a certain expectation to set an example in school.

“I see teaching as more of a long-term thing. It is a hard job, but it’s worth it as long as you love it. There needs to be more young teachers. It’s hard for kids to relate to someone teaching them when they don’t get where they’re coming from or how they feel. I would want to be there for kids to do that. I could see myself doing this for at least the next 10 years, if not more.

“Eventually, I might work in administration or take more of a leadership role in a school or a district. I’m starting my masters part time in the fall. I’ll potentially get a PhD and be a higher education professor. The possibilities are endless. I’m not a hundred percent sure what I want, but I know it’s going to have something to do with education and teaching.”

Interviewed by Victoria Bell

‘One day I just woke up and I was like, I want a future, I want a family and I need a change.’

Stiz Santosa, Freeport

“I was actually born and raised in the boroughs, and then I moved to Long Island. I am a first generation American, and my parents were born in Indonesia. They had to work a lot because they had to support the family. I was put in pretty dangerous situations (at no fault of my parents) where I was basically emotionally abused, which caused a lot of traumas as well.

“Before that I was always a happy, very active kid. However due to the abuse, I went to drinking and drugs growing up. I went in and out of jail three times. I think it was partly due to just being lost and not having a goal and self-confidence in myself — just past trauma. One day I just woke up and I was like, I want a future. I want a family, and I need a change.

I wanted to make a name for myself and have my own business.

“I was an athlete all my life. I swam and I competed in New York City street-handball. I lost touch with sports due to that trauma, which I didn’t realize until later on when I had numerous amounts of therapy. Due to the therapy, I healed and that’s where I am now. I got my personal training certification, and I became super business-oriented and goal-oriented. I just surrounded myself with amazing people — people that I looked up to professionally, financially, and I just learned a lot from them. I think that is how and why my business has grown and so fast.

“I just knew that sports were something that I naturally was good at. I wanted to make a name for myself and have my own business. I was tired of working for others. Stiz Santosa is my brand. I am an independent personal trainer as well as a brand ambassador. I am a firm believer that you need to find out what you are great at and just excel at that and money will come to you. That is basically what I did. Now I just help others with their fitness. But it is not just physical. It’s also emotional and mental because when I shared my story of what happened to me and my journey along the way, a lot of people gravitated towards that. I am just happy that I can help people.”

Interviewed by Victoria Bell

‘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

‘Never give up, even if you have a disability.’

Freeport

“I struggle with learning disabilities still to this day. When I was younger, I was diagnosed with low tone and low muscle, which basically means I didn’t develop quickly. I developed slowly. My speech and my body were not at the level that most kids are.

“When I was younger, I was not ahead of my classes. Everybody else was at the top of the class. I was below them. So, I had to get extra help. I had to go to speech therapy to help with my speech. I had extra time with a trainer just to get my muscles going. I had to catch up with other kids in class. I would say I started seeing therapists around first grade or kindergarten age.

Always ask for help. No one’s going to get mad at you for asking stupid questions.

“For my learning abilities, I would go to another person or another teacher and have like an hour or a 10-minute session with them, just to focus on each skill.

“But when I went to high school, I did not have that. I had to learn how to speak properly and study by myself and how to figure out how learn and remember information in different ways.

“In high school, if the notes were on the board, I would take them twice just so I remember them in my head. Also, I would read back the notes to myself to make sure I remember it.

“Throughout college, I would do the same, and I would always ask questions just to double-check if I was right or not. I made sure I did my tests on time. College was great. I learned a lot from my peers.

“My dream is one day to be a front desk manager in a hotel or a front desk person at a restaurant. I’m currently looking around for job opportunities.

“It’s also been my inspiration like to write, even though I didn’t take a course on that. I make blog posts about a Hulu show called ‘Tell Me Lies.’ I run a fan page called @tellmeliesfanpage22. I always look at shows and think how I would do this or what would be my review on it.

“Even if you have a disability, never give up. I would highly recommend that you work on it every day to make sure that you’re not behind and just to look forward to the future because it’s getting better every day. Always ask for help. No one’s going to get mad at you for asking stupid questions. Just ask for help and they’’ll give it to you.”

Interviewed by Victoria Bell

‘I learned that to be a great leader, you had to learn how to follow.’

Freeport

“I come from a first generation of immigrants, from Barbados and El Salvador, and grew up without a father. l was a young and dumb kid in my fifth year at a two-year school when joined the Army, then grew up and developed a fascination for wisdom.

“I realized I can learn something from every other person in this world if I just listen to the person speaking to me. I learned that to be a great leader, you had to learn how to follow.

“I became an all-Army MMA fighter, clocking in at 150 pounds, but I got hurt. Then I became a self-defense instructor, and through that work realized I have a special ability on how to teach anything to anyone because of the love I have for people.

“I was then deployed to Afghanistan as a 24-year-old sergeant who led teenagers into a war zone. I won a distinguished award for my leadership before getting out the Army and went on to get my master’s.

All of us, especially the ones who didn’t have positive role models growing up, would have saved so much time, energy and heartache if someone said the right thing to us when we were younger.

“I’ve come to the realization that there is a huge problem which I’m trying to find the solution for. The main thing right now is understanding that so many people want to do better, but there is no one around to help breathe life into new ways they can do things better.

“I’m just tired of watching the world burn, and I really want to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem right now.

“I really am trying just to help people in any way I can. I would have saved so much time, energy and heartache if someone had said the right thing to me when I was younger.

“Now that I have a 10-year-old son, if I’m gone tomorrow, I want there to be something for me to guide him. All of us, especially the ones who didn’t have positive role models growing up, would have saved so much time, energy and heartache if someone said the right thing to us when we were younger. Once I started hanging out with older folks, I learned so much from talking to them in a way that made sense.”

Interviewed by Ron Hart

‘I look at life like, “What’s the point of being here if we don’t make an impact on the world?”’

Freeport

“When I was like 16-17, there was a guy who used to sleep under a bridge in a park near my house in Freeport. He was the first homeless person I ever met. We’d buy him food and talk to him. He was a normal everyday guy who was just going through some tough times. He was the start of the inspiration that led me to help the homeless today.

“Back when I was 19, me and my buddy saw this lady on my aunt’s block carrying stuff. She asked if we could help her, and she ended up giving us some things I thought I’d sell at a yard sale. That led us to start doing free junk-removal jobs so we could do yard sales, but then we realized, ‘Hey, people charge money to do this.’ I also realized it could help start a thrift shop and help me help the homeless.

“Some jobs, maybe where unfortunately someone has passed away, we’ll find things that we can sell. We offer those customers a discount, as we charge based on what’s being cleaned up. If I see maybe clothing or furniture, I’ll say, ‘Hey we can recycle or resell a lot of this.’ But if I find, say, a nice winter coat, I’d rather donate that than have it sit in the thrift store and sell for 5-10 bucks. We do sell some of the designer clothing we come across, but that mostly goes to gas and things like that. We’ll hand out some clothing to people on the street, donate books to libraries, and work with groups that can distribute stuff to people in need.

Even if I don’t end up making a big impact, maybe I can be that push someone needs to get their life started.

“Among other things we’re also donating toward is a global organization that digs wells, and as I’m a volunteer firefighter, we’re working with another fire department and their clothing drive to get clothes to the survivors of that horrible Bronx fire that happened in January. The money we donate comes from both junk removal and our thrift store. We’ve also filed to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on the homeless on Long Island, but right now we’re just donating from the money we make.

“I look at life like, ‘What’s the point of being here if we don’t make an impact on the world? Even a small impact.’ I want to do something game-changing, but even if I don’t end up making a big impact, maybe I can be that push someone needs to get their life started, and I’m fine with that.”