LILIFE
WINNERS
CHRISTINEFAGERENG
Educator
ChristineFagereng,ofHamptonBays,hasreceived theElementaryPhysicalEducationTeacherofthe YearAwardfortheNewYorkStateAssociationof Health,PhysicalEducation,RecreationandDance’s SuffolkZone.Thedistinctionrecognizesherfor “excellenceinherfieldandforcreatingengagingandeffectivephysicaleducationprogramsthatbenefitsherstudents,”accordingtotheSouthamptonschooldistrict. Fagerengisaphysicaleducationteacher atSouthamptonElementarySchooland hasworkedinthedistrictforthepast eightyears,districtofficialssaid.Shealso spent12yearscoachingvarioussports includingjuniorvarsitysoftball,middle schoolboyssoccerandtrack,andmiddleschoolgirlssoccer,volleyballand softball,accordingtothedistrict.
HARVEYB.BESUNDER Attorney
HarveyB.Besunder, ofEastSetauket,has receivedthe2025 AttorneyProfessionalismAwardfromthe NewYorkStateBar Associationforhis“commitmentto promotingrespectforthelegalsystem,” accordingtotheassociation.Besunder, whohasbeenpracticinglawsince1967, isapartneratPatchogue-basedlawfirm Egan&GoldenLLP,aswellaspastpresidentoftheSuffolkCountyBarAssociationandcurrentco-chairmanofthe association’sCommercialDivisionCommittee,accordingtothefirm.Helecturesontopicsrangingfromcommercial lawtopropertyvaluation.
KELLYMURPHY Executivedirector/CEO
KellyMurphy,of Huntington,hasreceivedtheLindaJ. HillLeadership AwardfromtheNew YorkStateEconomic DevelopmentCouncil forher“longstandingcommitmentto economicdevelopment,mentorshipand publicserviceacrossLongIsland,”accordingtothecouncil.Murphyhasbeen executivedirectorandCEOoftheSuffolkCountyIndustrialDevelopment AgencysinceJune2024andhashelped close107transactionsthathavegeneratedmorethan$1.4billioninprivate capitalinvestment,accordingtotheIDA. Sheisalsoonthecouncil’sboard.
NOMINATEAWINNER Email informationabouttheaccomplishmentorhonorto winners@newsday.com. IncludephotoinJPEGformat;colorispreferred.
Youngwritersharesloveofbookswithothers
BYMICHAELR.EBERT michael.ebert@newsday.com
AGreatNeckgirlwholoves literatureisstrivingtopromotetheimportanceofreadingtochildreninunderserved communities.
MadeleineChin,12,hasbeen donatingbookstoschoolsin low-incomeneighborhoods anddeliveringpresentations ontopicsincludingthehealth benefitsofreadingthroughher nonprofitorganizationMindful Reading.Theorganization, foundedinFebruary,hasdonatedmorethan2,500new andusedchildren’sbooksto variousschools,with Madeleinepresentingtohundredsofstudentsatsixschools inQueens.
Madeleineisalsotheauthor oftwoself-publishedfiction novelsforteensandyoung adults—eachofwhichexceeds50,000words—andis nowworkingonherthird book,shesaid.Shealsoreceivedthebronze-levelPresident’sVolunteerService Award,anationalhonor,this pastspringforcompleting morethan50hoursofcommunityserviceina12-month span.
“IwasinspiredtoformMind-
NOMINATEALONGISLANDER
Shehelped ourstudentssee thatwritingis notonlypossible, butexcitingand creative.’
—TeacherMarissaFisher, ofPS312Q
fulReadingbecausemyreaders reachedouttomeandintheir e-mailstoldmehowIhave inspiredthemtonevergiveup evenifthey’rejustkids,”said Madeleine,whowillenterthe eighthgradenextmonthat GreatNeckSouthMiddle School.“Iwantedtomakea greaterandmoreimmediate impactonthesechildren.”
Theorganizationsecured thousandsofbooksthrough giveawaysandlow-pricedsales atplacesrangingfromlocal librariesandbookstoresto FacebookMarketplace, Madeleinesaid.Shehasalso receivednumerousbookdonationsfromfamilyandfriends aswellasfromtheFreeport-
basednonprofitBookFairies.
Madeleinedistributesthe booksbyreachingouttoteachersatTitleIschools,which receiveextrafederalfunding tohelpstudentsfromlow-incomefamiliessucceedinacademicsettings,shesaid.She alsogivesawaybooksbyhosting“pop-upreadingcorners” atlocationsincludingCutter MillParkinGreatNeck.
“Readinghassomanymentalhealthbenefits,”Madeleine saidofhernonprofit’simportance.“Bookswillalwayshave aplaceforpeopleifthey’re sufferingorhaveinternal conflicts.Or,sometimes,when thereisnotanadultaroundto helpout,bookscanbegood.”
Onepersonwhopraised Madeleine’seffortseducating herstudentson theimportanceof readingand writing was Marissa Fisher, a fourthgrade teacherat theJamaica Chil-
dren’sMagnetSchoolforInnovativeLeadershipand CivicActivism,PS 312QinQueens.
“Fromthe momentshe arrived,her kindness and thoughtfulnesswere evident,” Fishersaid inastate-
ment.“Sheengagedourstudentswithwarmthand authenticity,takingthe timetoexplainher writingprocessina waythatwasboth accessibleand inspiring.She helpedourstudentsseethat writingisnot onlypossible, butexcitingand creative.”
HOMETOWNHERO
—MICHAELR.EBERT
MadeleineChin,12,ofGreat Neck,hasdonated2,500books to variousschoolsandhas publishedtwonovelsofher own.