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HERALD BEACON
Firefighters unite for Juneteenth
laced up and running for pride
Celebrating the big 250
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Teen cadets rise to the challenge friends and work together as a team.” Similar immersive-leadership Early-morning formations, events are held at military instalobstacle courses, land navigation lations across the globe, where and a rope descent down the side cadets build confidence and disciof a tower pushed 10 Uniondale pline. “I think they really enjoy overHigh School Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps coming the obstacles they’ve put cadets well beyond their comfort in their minds,” Telesca said. “They’re proud of zones during a fivethemselves once day leadership they’ve completed camp at Fort an obstacle, Devens, Mass. because they’ve The annual realized the only Junior ROTC Leadthing limiting ership Challenge them was themCamp, June 22 to selves.” 26, challenged nearThroughout the ly 200 cadets from five-day camp, schools throughout cadets rotated New York both through leaderphysically and ship and teammentally while building exercises teaching them including land teamwork, communavigation, using nication and leadmaps and comership. AnThOnY TeleSCA passes; obstacle Maj. Anthony Instructor, Uniondale courses; and the Telesca, who helps High JROTC program Field Leadership oversee Uniondale Reaction Course, High’s Army JROTC program, said the camp is in which teams transported designed to challenge students as equipment and a simulated they learn to lead and work injured person across obstacles without touching the ground. together under pressure. Cadets also took part in swim“They come from all different schools within the tristate area ming, basketball, soccer and and even Albany,” Telesca said. other recreational activities “We intermingle them together before taking on one of the so they’re not just sticking with camp’s signature challenges — the kids they know from their Continued on page 8 school. They get to meet new
By STACY DRIKS
sdriks@liherald.com
T
Steve Sachs/Herald photos
The phenomenon of ‘UFOlogy’ Cradle of Aviation Museum employee Peter Zappa helped young visitors mix bright green slime at the Area 516 Slime Experiment activity station during the museum’s inaugural “UFOlogy: Close Encounters at the Cradle” event on June 28. The interactive exhibit offered more than a dozen hands-on STEM activities that gave families a chance to explore the science, mystery and imagination behind unidentified aerial phenomena. Story, more photos, Page 3.
A new country, and now a new future By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com
Their journeys to graduation all began in Haiti, but followed different timelines. Some arrived in Uniondale during the 2023-24 and 202425 school years, while others enrolled last September. Now, seven Uniondale High School graduates have been awarded $250 scholarships by The Gift of Writing Foundation in recognition of their academic achievement, community service and perseverance. The scholarships were presented at the school’s multilingual awards ceremony on June 13, to Saika Doneval, Lucka Dornevils, Keana Jean, Melicia Joseph, Brithney Metayer, Faola Mystal and Leatchalynn Osias.
Jean and Metayer came to the district this past academic school year, while Doneval, Joseph and Mystal arrived in Uniondale last year. Dornevils and Osias have been here since 2023-24. Founded in 2013 by Frantz Dorsainvil, assistant principal at Northern Parkway Elementary School, The Gift of Writing Foundation awards scholarships annually to help make higher education more attainable for graduating seniors. The awards are funded by the nonprofit’s annual gala and community donations. “It’s an effort to really continue to support the educational journey,” Dorsainvil said. “This year we gave seven scholarships worth $250 just to really support whether it’s books or whatever Continued on page 8
hey’re proud of themselves once they’ve completed an obstacle, because they’ve realized the only thing limiting them was themselves.