________ Franklin square/elmont _______
April 6, 2023
HERALD Higher Education
Empowering a brighter future
HERALD CoMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS WINNER of
Inside
Vol. 25 No. 15
9
Sewanhaka talks school safety Page 5
AWARDS APRIl 6 - 12, 2023
$1.00
Meet three Elmont women of distinction By ANA BoRRUTo aborruto@liherald.com
Keith Rossein/Herald
Jabbing for JAR of Hope Jim Raffone, the founder of JAR of Hope, and CKO Kickboxing owner Jennifer Settino organized a kickboxing marathon to raise money for muscular dystrophy research. Story, more photos, Page 3.
Three inspiring women from Elmont were honored as Women of Distinction by Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages at Sewanhaka High School on March 19. The event celebrated the community contributions, acts of outstanding leadership and grass-roots efforts of 12 female recipients in Solages’ 22nd Assembly District. Savitre Ferdinand, an Elmont resident for over 20 years, is a health care worker and a founder of a nonprofit — as well as a supportive mother of her two children, Stefan and Selene, in their pageantry and Boy Scout endeav-
ors. Ferdinand launched a nonprofit organization with 10-yearold Selene called Meera Empowerment, which encourages selfconfidence in kids in the Elmont community by teaching them life skills and lessons. The organization also raises funds to award scholarships to local high school students, collects donations for toy drives during the holidays, and supports community service efforts organized by elected leaders. Meera Empowerment events Ferdinand has put together have included fashion shows, tea parties and classes in which children are taught how to cook, sew Continued on page 6
Student ambassadors to learn about the working world By ANA BoRRUTo aborruto@liherald.com
The Gift of Giving Foundation inducted more than 20 students from Sewanhaka and Elmont high schools into the organization’s student ambassador program on March 30 — the largest group to be bestowed with such an honor. Elizabeth Forbes, founder of the Gift of Giving Foundation, launched the program as a way to help young individuals visualize their career goals for the future through volunteering for local businesses, neighborhood groups and nonprofits. Through these community
relationships, the goal is for students to understand that they just need to take the first step to embrace all opportunities for success. “My last year in high school, I had no clue about the big world I was about to enter — I had no knowledge or excitement about the new path ahead of me,” Forbes said. “Our future generations should be ready to take on the big world rather than secondguess the path ahead of them.” Jessica Brown, director of the student ambassador program and Forbes’ niece, is a recent graduate of Iona College with a degree in media and strategic communications. Brown has
been part of the program since the beginning, when it only enrolled a handful of students. After seeing how many young people took the ambassador’s oath at the induction ceremony, Brown said the growth shows the positive impact the program is making. “I think all of us have a sense of confusion when thinking about our futures,” Brown said. “It makes me proud to be a part of the program and makes me happy to see how excited (the students) all get when the program starts.” Guidance counselors select the students, and once they are inducted into the ambassador
program, they are expected to visit participating businesses on a weekly basis. For the next eight weeks, the teens will learn the ins and outs of the workforce firsthand from several business leaders in a variety of fields, including law enforcement, nonprofit work, retail, design, the restaurant industry and more, according to
Forbes and Brown. The ambassadors earn up to 15 to 20 hours of community service through the program. This spring’s lineup of mentors include Belimage.com, the POP Squad, Architectural Sign Group, 718 Solar, Guggin Café, Island Harvest, Queen of Hearts, A2Z Automasters and Four VilContinued on page 4