__________________ SEAFORD _________________
HERALD
Local Moving and Pa
cking Services
Vol. 74 No. 15
APRIl 9 - 15, 2026
516-591-3338 mymove@asupermov e.com www.asupermove.c om
$1.00
1339907
Seaford, New York
Wantagh H.S. seniors named Merit Scholars For Fields, the news marked the culmination of a process he had been anticipatT w o W a n t a g h H i g h ing, while Chen had been workSchool seniors, Liam Fields and ing toward the honor and said Ethan Chen, have been recog- the moment was especially nized as finalists in the Nation- meaningful. “I was pretty glad that I al Merit Scholarship Program, made it to finala distinction awarded to some of the ist,” Chen said. nation’s highest“The National achieving students. Merit Scholarship The prestihas been my goal gious program since junior year, so identifies students I’m glad I made it based on their perthrough the final for mance on the stage.” PSAT taken during Both students their junior year credited years of and awards scholarconsistent effort, as ships to those who well as strong supdemonstrate excepport networks, for tional academic their achievements. ability, leadership PAul GuzzoNE Fields said his parand potential for Principal, Wantagh ents encouraged his success in college. curiosity early on. High School N a t i o n a l l y, “My mother’s a roughly 7,000 stureading teacher, and dents are named finalists each my father’s an engineer,” he y e a r. Each s c h o l - said. “Together, they really a r re c e ive s $ 2 , 5 0 0 , wh i ch pushed me to start learning at can be used to offset college an early age and ignited my e x p e n s e s, a n d t h e s e s t u - love of learning about everydents may be eligible for other thing.” corporate-sponsored or collegeChen cited his mother as a sponsored monetary awards. motivating influence. “She’s Many universities offer sub- always pushed me to do my best stantial award packages to so I can build a good future,” he National Merit finalists.
By ABBEY SAlVEMINI
asalvemini@liherald.com
T
Jordan Vallone/Herald
Serene and Grateful Entertainment, also known as SAGE, is a Levittown-based nonprofit that champions music and art therapy as tools for people recovering from addiction. Above, Andrew Kase, the organization’s LGBTQ+ outreach director, Sean Mullady, its founder, and Danielle McNicholas, its therapeutic director.
Finding hope through art and music
Local nonprofit champions those in addiction recovery By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
Serene and Grateful Entertainment, known as SAGE, is using creativity to help transform lives in recovery — and on March 29, the nonprofit, which is based in Levittown, brought that mission down the road at the East Meadow Public Library. The organization hosted a creative showcase highlighting the talents of musicians, poets, artists and performers, celebrating joy, strength and resilience through art. SAGE champions music and art therapy as powerful tools for individuals recovering from addiction. SAGE, a nonprofit organization that champions music and art therapy as tools for individuals recovering from addiction, was founded by Sean Mullady, with the same name of his son, Sage Mullady, who died in 2022 from a drug overdose.
“It was devastating,” Mullady said. “I didn’t have any coping skills. I’d always been a functioning addict, but when that happened, I completely spiraled out of control. Long story short, one day I woke up, and I was like, ‘I’m either going to have an act two in life, or I’m going to go down in flames.’” Mullady went to St. Christopher’s Rehabilitation Inn in upstate-New York. “I found a higher power, you know, I found God, and started getting clean,” he said at the event on March 29. “But what I realized that there was a void that needed to be filled with music and art. And that’s where SAGE comes in.” After leaving rehab about three years ago, Mullady, who is originally from Oceanside, began working on building what would become SAGE. The nonprofit regularly engages in workshops and programs across CoNTiNuED oN pAGE 16
hey set a strong example and make an impact both inside and outside the classroom.
CoNTiNuED oN pAGE 5