______________ VALLEY STREAM _____________
HERALD See how AI levels education
Sinai nurses are honored
Task force takes on heinous crime
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VOL. 35 NO. 33
AUGUST 8 - 14, 2024
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At 14, this North alum heads to NYU gies are often the focus of society’s long-held fascination with extraordinary early skills and In many ways, Cody Sung is achievement. It is often touted like any other 14-year-old boy. that by some stroke of genetic He enjoys playing Roblox, an luck or inborn talent, young online adventure game, with bright minds like Sung’s are set his friends. He admits to goof- up for a life of success. But ing off around the house when even the natural brilliance of child geniuses and he knows he should gifted teens doesn’t be doing his schoolexempt them from work. Since childthe pressures and h o o d , h o w e v e r, anxieties of growSung has displayed ing up or fitting in. a prodigious intelRecognizing lect that has set their son was more him apart from his than just his intelpeers. lect, his parents After his kinderweren’t sold at first garten teacher and on the prospect of c o u n s e l o r s aw putting him on the h i n t s o f S u n g ’s ChRISTy academic fast track b r i l l i a n c e, l at e r MANSfIeLd if it meant losing confir med by the North AP Literature out on time with results of an IQ teacher kids his age. test, he leapfrogged “School officials his classmates, doing coursework three grade wanted me to skip those grades as an academic challenge, but levels above his normal age. At 9, Sung entered Valley the thing is my parents didn’t Stream North High School as want me to skip those grades an eighth-grade student. Now, mainly because I wouldn’t be in at 14, he’s one of the youngest contact with peers of the same students to enroll at New York age, and would hurt me socially University, on track to finish and emotionally,” said Sung. Then, a compromise was his underg raduate studies struck. before even finishing puberty. Observers note that prodiContinued on page 10
By JUAN LASSO
jlasso@liherald.com
Courtesy Valley Stream Central High School District
A foam-load of fun This Willow Road Elementary School student was happy as a clam in a sea of foam at the inaugural PTA foam party. Story, more photos, Page 5.
Nine decades of sisterly love Three Devaney siblings celebrate National Sisters Day By NORA TOSCANO Intern
The three 90-plus-year-old Devaney sisters celebrated National Sisters Day on Sunday at The Bristol in North Woodmere, where they live. Mary Devaney, 95, Kathleen Devaney-Dolan, 93, and Teresa Devaney, 90, grew up together in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Kathleen, who raised her family in Valley Stream, is a mother of five children and grandmother to ten grandchildren. Teresa Devaney and Mary Devaney never married and lived together for years before deciding to join their sister at The Bristol. Mary said that their mother was adamant
that the three women stay close throughout their lives. Much of their family remained in Sligo, Ireland, where their parents immigrated from, so their mother did not have the opportunity to live close to her own sister. “Our mother was very caring about us staying together and close,” Mary said. “She never knew her older sister because she came in the 1980s, so she said, ‘I want you girls to be close.’ And it’s worked out.” “Being a sister is wonderful,” Kathleen said. “Having a sister is sometimes not so wonderful. But we don’t hold grudges or anything like that.” Mary worked as a communications superviContinued on page 10
C
ody Sung is a very special kid with some extra special smarts.