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UNIONDALE _____________
HERALD BEACON
Remembering our fallen heroes
Sailors are coming home
Raising the (Haitian) flag
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MAY 30 - JUNE 5, 2024
FREE
Nassau County Bar Association inspires some bright futures the Hempstead Union Free School District. Ludlum is now Barack Obama Elementary. After becoming an attorney, The Nassau County Bar Association is committed to he reached out to the bar assokeeping the future of students ciation to see if it would be on Long Island bright, promis- interested in starting a mentor program, and what began in ing and rewarding. Through its Student Mentor Hempstead schools almost Program, students from sever- three decades ago has expandal county districts ed greatly. have the opportuniThis year’s menty to meet on a bit o r s h i p p ro g r a m weekly, individual culminated in a basis with attorluncheon May 23 at n e y s, wh o o f f e r the bar associaeve r y t h i n g f ro m tion’s headquarters guidance to casual on 15th Street in discussion, caterMineola. Par ticiing to the needs of pating schools many, at various i n c l u d e d W. T. g rade levels and DORIAN GLOVER Clarke and Woodstages in both their land middle schools Attorney, school career, and in East Meadow; Nassau County Bar adolescence. Great Neck North Alan Hodish of Association Student and South middle East Meadow is a Mentor Program schools; Schultz p e r s o n a l i n j u r y, Middle School and criminal law, and education Barack Obama and Jackson law attorney, who created the Main elementary schools in program 27 years ago. Before Hempstead; Jericho Middle he went into law, he taught for School; Turtle Hook and Law20 years at Jackson Main and rence Road middle schools and Ludlum Elementary School in ContinUed on pAge 7
By JORDAN VALLONE
jvallone@liherald.com
I
Lyle Mark Bulado/Herald
Uniondale High School senior Chikaodinaka ‘Chika’ Akazi has succeeded in the classroom and on the track — particularly when there are hurdles involved.
Running to academic and athletic success By LYLE MARK BULADO Correspondent
After a stunning state championship win this spring, Uniondale High School senior Chikaodinaka “Chika” Akazi recently detailed her journey as a rising star in track and field, and her future goals. The 18-year-old Baldwin native, who grew
up in a Nigerian family, explained that her early influences were her immigrant parents, Felix Akazi and Yvonne Ogunbayo, and her older sister, Chinyere, who also competed in track and field. Both sisters ran for Leigh Pollet, the girls’ track and field coach at the high school since 1988 and an Energice Coaches Hall of Fame inductee in 2019. ContinUed on pAge 9
feel every time I mentor, I receive more from the experience.