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Newsday Faces of Long Island celebrates the uniqueness of everyday Long Islanders. In their own words, they tell us about their life experiences, challenges and triumphs. Newsday launched this social media journey into the human experience to shine a light on the diverse people of this wonderful place we call home. Copyright ©2021 Newsday. All rights reserved. Faces of Long Island is produced by Newsday Consumer Marketing. This content does not involve the reporting and editing staff of Newsday’s Editorial Department. Sea Cliff ‘Although I cannot see myself writing another full-length book, I am eager to start working on a book of short stories.’ As a new social worker in 1995, I found myself swept up in the turbulence created by the AIDS virus… READ STORY VIDEO FEATURE New Hyde Park ‘I gave my boss two weeks’ notice, and she was shocked. I told her I was going to start a deli.’ I’m first-generation. My mom was right off the boat. She came from the Caribbean. She had me when she was 17 and fell into a coma when I was 7… WATCH NOW Levittown ‘I think talking about suburbia sort of fills a section of country music that you would call Americana.’ In the first grade, I saw ‘Yellow Submarine’ at the Calderone Theater in Hempstead, and that changed everything… READ STORY Central Islip ‘I love uniting the community with like-minded people while spreading awareness about vegan lifestyle choices.’ I decided to become a vegan eight years ago due to improve my health after watching documentaries about the meat industry… READ STORY Mineola ‘I was always into working out. I wanted to help people. I always wanted to motivate people, but I never made that connection.’ I was in construction for a decade. Four hours of my day were spent commuting. Then I met my fiancée, and she asked me what I was doing with my life… READ STORY Roosevelt ‘Ever since I graduated from undergrad, that’s when I picked up my camera and have not stopped.’ I have always had a camera growing up. My dad had cameras around. We had a lot of photo books, so I feel naturally photography always surrounded me… READ STORY North Massapequa ‘I hoped to be an author. As a child, I often dreamed that my books might be in libraries one day.’ Writing was always easier than speaking for me, especially in my early years. I was a late talker… READ STORY Plainview ‘I’ve been able to save a lot more money than I would have by just working my regular 9-to-5 job.’ When I was 16 and my parents told me that they were going to move to Arizona, I decided that I was not going… READ STORY Medford ‘…If sick, please stay home or be considerate, trying not to infect others.’ Our story isn’t just one of things that have happened to us as in past tense. It’s a story of things still happening to us on a daily basis… READ STORY Plainview ‘We love our community, get involved in the local chamber and other events, and we’ve donated proceeds to various local organizations.’ So much of what I do now is because of my late sister. I started making sugar scrub because my own skin was so bad, and I hadn’t found anything I loved… READ STORY Kings Park ‘Ben has sparked a movement that challenges us to see autism as a different way of interacting with the world, full of potential and promise.’ At 13, my son Ben’s journey took a pivotal turn after watching ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’… READ STORY Long Beach ‘I’ve seen firsthand how hard my colleagues work every single day. Working with children is much harder than people think.’ Between social, emotional and academic needs, there’s a lot to juggle at once. Teachers sometimes get overlooked and should be celebrated more… READ STORY Central Islip ‘We are all human beings and we all live in the world, which is basically one village.’ The natural inspiration to make art started at the beginning of my life; throughout my childhood I wanted to draw and paint… READ STORY MONTAUK ‘I have worked on the waters my entire life. It is what I like to do. It is in my blood.’ I am a 14th-generation bayman-slash-offshore commercial fisherman. I have grown up on the East End my entire life… READ STORY STONY BROOK ‘What changed was finding that I could stick to a regimen and follow a process to get me to the finish line. I got down to 172 pounds.’ I was overweight at 245 pounds in 2007, balancing a pint of ice cream on my belly and watching Forrest Gump run across America… READ STORY ELMONT ‘I’ve been dealing with bipolar disorder, which hasn’t been the easiest because I had to overcome suicidal ideations.’ I started in makeup about five to 10 years ago. I was in high school, and I saw a friend of mine who was really fascinated with it… READ STORY BETHPAGE ‘I had always been a fan of professional wrestling growing up. Announcing saved my life.’ I have two jobs: By day, I’m a technical assistant for account managers at an insurance broker, and by night, I’m a sports announcer for sporting events… READ STORY HOLBROOK ‘I sat on the couch and felt this pull from the universe. I stayed there and wrote mantras on different topics.’ I was born in Bay Shore, one of three, and was raised by two wonderful parents… READ STORY BAY SHORE ‘I want to make sure that the people who need help get it.’ I was a shy child, afraid to be myself and of what others might think of me… READ STORY Massapequa ‘Now that I’m an endo warrior, I pay more attention to my body. I learned that I am tougher than I thought.’ Endometriosis is a terrible disease that affects 1 in 10 women. Most women don’t know they have it… READ STORY Lido Beach ‘It turns out I ended up with the ability to do things with my hands, thanks to the things my uncle and aunt showed me.’ My dad died at age 37, when I was 3. However, I had a next-door neighbor who took over as my father figure… READ STORY Stony Brook ‘I remember one time my mother and I were arguing about something, and I slammed my bedroom door in anger, which accidentally slammed on her hand.’ I had a hard time in school when I was a kid… READ STORY PATCHOGUE ‘I wear many hats, but essentially, I am an energy worker, a teacher and a therapist. They all blend pretty much together.’ I started my reiki journey eight years ago. I’ve been professionally practicing for seven years… READ STORY Westbury ‘What’s important to me is knowing that I made a significant effort to have a positive influence on the lives of others.’ When my wife, Lyn, and I joined the Peace Corps after graduating from college in January of 1965… READ STORY Baldwin ‘As a Black female business leader, I’ve learned the keys to success consist of networking, research, perseverance and resilience.’ My inspiration is my dad. He successfully migrated from Liberia and obtained a PhD in chemistry from Columbia University… READ STORY Great Neck ‘One of the things that is very much on my mind is Alzheimer’s and dementia, so I’m trying very hard to use my mind and have a purpose in life.’ It’s like sunshine with an ‘M,’ I always used to tell my students. I taught high school English for 58 years… READ STORY Ridge ‘Doctors told me I had a 0 to 1 percent chance of ever conceiving a child without the assistance of some kind of medicine.’ It’s been about a decade of ups and downs with my fertility. I have a very complicated story… READ STORY East Northport ‘I take a lot of pride in what I do. I like helping people, and I do feel like this job is about helping people.’ I always wanted a civil service job. I worked in retail for six years, and I took a bunch of civil service tests… READ STORY WATER MILL ‘You get to make stuff from scratch.’ I went into the Navy when I was 21 years old. My great-grandfather was in the Navy. My father was in the Navy… READ STORY Roslyn ‘I am committed to making a difference.’ I always knew I was adopted… READ STORY DIX HILLS ‘So far, I’ve made 302 cakes, I want to make 1,000 cakes before my 18th birthday. I’m 15, so I have three more years to go.’ I used to bake cakes and cookies with my mom when I was...