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UNIONDALE _____________
HERALD BEACON
Lawyers mentor students
Educator receives honor
Still breaking barriers
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JUNE 5 - 11, 2025
Library relocation plans in flux By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com
Stacy Driks/Herald
At the Uniondale Public Library May 21 board meeting, the trustees discussed the library’s possible relocation.
The Uniondale Public Library is planning a big move — it hopes to lease space at a Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, but before it can settle into a new home, it needs the town’s approval. Without it, the new chapter could spiral into costly legal battles. The idea to lease space at NUMC has been going on for roughly five years, according to the Deborah Mabry, president of CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Never to old to achieve dreams and spirit By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com
At 63, Maria Baugh never imagined she would be honored with an award for education — especially since she hadn’t stepped foot in a classroom in 45 years. She didn’t know how to be a student. Growing up in Jamaica Baugh carried responsibilities far beyond her age. At 15, she became pregnant and decided to drop out of high school to raise her child. Ever since, earning her diploma remained a dream she never let go of. She aimed to forge an economical future for herself. She moved to the United States, leaving her husband
behind during the Covid-19 pandemic, first staying with her daughter in North Carolina before settling in Uniondale with her sister five years ago. “I have a girlfriend slash daughter, I have a grown child and in Jamaica after having her I have been out of school ever since,” said Baugh. It was in Uniondale where Baugh finally chose to return to school after realizing most jobs — including home health aide positions she was interested in — required a high school diploma. While some students earn a traditional high school diploma, others pursue an equivalency exam such as the GED (general educational development). Pro-
W
hen I was nominated for the (George Farber) award I cried,” Baugh said. “I said no, no, no please take it back.
MARIA BAUGH student BOCES Learning Center grams like the one Baugh enrolled in help individuals who didn’t complete high school or were educated abroad prepare for the exam. At the Adult Learning Center in Levittown, Baugh sat in the
back of the classroom, ashamed of being the oldest — a grandmother among younger students, she said — and unsure how to use a laptop. ”I did not know how to use a laptop, not at all,” said Baugh. “But I’m picking it up really fast, I’m learning.” Her teacher, Cathy Rooney, said Baugh was given a computer to take home because she didn’t own one. For a student to be loaned a computer was rare, Rooney said, because special permission was needed and it was not included in the budget. Baugh struggled to understand the material and couldn’t navigate digital tools, which are now standard in most classrooms.
A 2022 education department survey found that 94 percent of U.S. high school students now use laptops for their studies, along with 74 percent of students in grades K-8. The widespread shift to digital learning has made technology second nature to many, but not everyone has adapted as easily. ”When I would come home (from school) my grandniece would help me, and eventually I start learning more,” Baugh said. Baugh’s experience highlights the growing digital divide between generations. While younger students have grown up with devices in hand, older learners often face challenges CONTINUED ON PAGE 5