Latest news with #Spellman
New York Post
06-07-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Gee, whizzes! Nine brainiacs from NYC high school reap total of nearly $11M in college scholarship money
They're the brainiacs of The Bronx. Nine newly minted graduates of Cardinal Spellman Catholic high school are now in the 'Millionaire's Club'' — raking in a whopping total nearly $11 million in scholarship money. The teen geniuses were each awarded more than $1 million in merit-based grants — much of it from a plethora of prestigious schools, including Ivy Leagues — for a staggering total of $10,799,476. 3 Cardinal Spellman high-school students (clockwise from top left) Shakira Simo, Robert Hernandez, Gabrielle Henriques, Nina Gonzales, Akua Amponsah, Rehema Ojwang and Kaylynn Little beam after reaping a total of nearly $11 million in college scholarship money this year. Stephen Yang 'Somebody actually called and argued with me that that was impossible,' said Dierdre Gibbons, the director of admissions at Spellman. Rehema Ojwang, one of the amazing nine, said, 'It kind of shows people that are just coming up and are about to find a college and are looking into their futures that this is really doable. 'I'm not a genius, and I was born and raised in The Bronx,' said the super student, who plans to study politics at Princeton University in the fall. 'I'm a first-generation American, my parents are immigrants. 'What you have to do is just stay passionate in the things that you do — you don't have to start a business, and you don't have to start a nonprofit, you don't have to go to these heights. I think you just have to make sure that you are putting effort into the things that you like doing.' Another 'Millionaire's Club' member, Shakira Simo, said she is looking forward to studying public policy at Brown University. 'I think it's really inspiring to accomplish something so big,' she said. 'It's not something I really would have imagined when I was a freshman, sophomore or even junior. I think just having grit and determination, persistence really gets you to that point.' 3 The brainiacs applied to an average of 16 schools each. Stephen Yang Joining Simo and Ojwang in the 'Millionaire's Club' are Alyssa Rill, Gabrielle Henriques, Rehema Ojwang, Robert Hernadez, Akua Amponsah, Nina Gonzalez, Saniya Smith and Kaylyn Little. All of the stellar students filed countless school and scholarship applications in the past few months in addition to wrapping up their senior year and making time to enjoy their final moments as classmates. In addition to scoring plenty of university scholarships, the students won a significant portion of the money from outside groups, too. They spent countless hours writing essays for each individual scholarship, many of which offered amounts as relatively low as $1,000. The kids aren't just book-smart, either. Henriques, for example, sewed her own prom dress, while Hernandez was a major player in the school's theater program. 3 The group is not only academically stellar but stand out in other ways, too. Stephen Yang The kids cast a wide net to reach their incredible eight-figure total, applying to an average of 16 different universities. Hernandez topped his friends, applying to 20 different schools. 'I want to be the greatest actor ever. Anything with the musical theater program, I'm jumping on,' he explained. Some of the impressive schools the students are attending next year include Princeton University and Marist College, as well as SUNY Stonybrook and Lehman College. The teens said the college application process pushed them out of their comfort zones and involved some of them calling universities and asking for additional money on top of their scholarships. Spellman has proudly flaunted its record-breaking total on its social-media channels.
New York Post
27-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
Most people make these cleaning and organizing mistakes without even realizing it: ‘These behaviors keep clutter coming back'
When it comes to organizing and cleaning — there's a certain knack to it. And while some people love nothing more than having a mop or Swiffer in hand to go to town cleaning and putting things away — others can't be bothered and do the bare minimum. Luckily there are people like Lesley Spellman, a decluttering expert, co-founder of The Declutter Hub and co-author of the new book Reset Your Home: Unpack Your Emotions and Your Clutter, Step by Step, whose job is to literally help guide lost cleaners in figuring out how to best arrange and tidy up their homes — and lives. Tackling a giant mess can feel overwhelming if you don't know where to start. Getty Images She told the Daily Mail in an interview that most people's habits 'quietly sabotage' their 'efforts to get organized.' 'Whether it's underestimating how long the job will take, flitting (moving swiftly) between rooms without finishing anything, or letting 'stuff' take center stage instead of addressing the emotions behind it, these are the behaviors that keep clutter coming back,' shared the expert. Spellman said the first mistake she sees most people make is not coming up with a game plan before tackling a mess head-on. As the saying goes, fail to prepare — prepare to fail. 'All good projects need a plan. [Ask yourself], what equipment do you need? How much time do you have? How much energy do you have?' she told the outlet. Being overly ambitious and feeling the need to buy organizing bins or supplies before assessing the mess at hand is another common thing inexperienced organizers do. 'Most of the time we have more than enough storage in our homes, we just have too much stuff,' she explained. Having a game plan is recommended by the expert. Jasmin Merdan – 'You need to declutter first, work out where you want to have something and then decide on what box to buy to either containerize, make it pretty, or both.' The expert recommended using empty boxes lying around your home as temporary storage until you find better solutions. Spellman also advises against tackling the messiest area of your room first — something many people think is the best strategy. 'When we think about the decluttering projects that need to be done in our homes, our minds always go to the hardest things,' she said. 'We need to build up our decluttering muscle by tackling easy things first. Then the tough rooms can happen further into the process.' In addition to Spellman's helpful tips, a professional organizer on TikTok swears by a decluttering rule that supposedly only takes three seconds. 'All I want you to do, is you're gonna make a decision on each pair,' @kayleenkellyorganize said. 'It's either a yes, you keep it, or no, it goes. But if you hesitate [for more than three seconds], it's an automatic keep.' 'If you feel like you have to try them on before you decide, just put it in your 'keep' pile and we'll circle back around,' the organizer explained. Anything to keep your life more organized and sane, right?
Time of India
18-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
What your messy closet says about your mind: The 5 clutter personalities explained
Image credits: Getty Images Storing memories or hoarding clutter, which one are you doing? A lot of humans have the habit of storing a variety of objects such as old belongings that have an emotional attachment or broken things that they are surely going to get mended one day. For one reason or another, there are so many things we prevent from throwing or giving away, just because they feel important. Now, a decluttering expert has revealed just what your clutter personality could be and what it says about you. According to Lesley Spellman, co-founder of The Declutter Hub and co-author of the new book Reset Your Home: Unpack Your Emotions and Your Clutter, Step by Step, these are the five clutter personalities. 'Clutter is rarely just about space - it's emotional,' Spellman said. 'To make calm, rational decisions about what stays and what goes, we have to first understand what's holding us back.' 'And that starts with us - our mindset, our emotions and our clutter personality. Only then can we start making real progress, clearing space not just in our homes, but in our heads and lives, too.' Spellman suggested that self-awareness is a crucial step in the decluttering process and understanding what your clutter personality is- is a powerful place to begin. The Happy Heaper Image credits: Getty Images Spellman describes the first personality as the 'Happy Heaper.' These are the people who hoard clutter just because it falls way below their priority list. They value their work, social, personal lives and other projects more than decluttering their space. 'An often deep, sometimes chaotic and possibly neurodivergent thinker, the happy heaper is likely to have a busy life with multiple people, projects and priorities to think about,' she said to the Daily Mail. She added that these personalities sometimes don't even realize that they have clutter because they believe that the things hold a space. 'they have a sense of knowing where something might be found,' she added, explaining that it might also come from a place of perfectionism where they don't take up a task till they have the time to do it perfectly. The Kind Keeper Image credits: Getty Images Remember how Phil from Modern Family hoarded a lot of stuff in the garage because it held sentimental value for him? Well, he was a kind keeper. These are the most common types of heapers and they believe that every object they own has a sentimental value to it for them. 'They may have lived a period of their life when they had very little and consequently embrace the feeling of having more,' explained Spellman. Thus, when they try to clear up the clutter, they face hurdles in the form of feelings which make them not want to let go. The Warm Weeper Image credits: Getty Images If you are holding on to stuff because of your past pain, feelings or trauma, then you are a warm weeper. It could be a sweater that belonged to your mom or a pen that your late friend gifted to you. 'The stuff they have chosen to keep has offered them respite from the complications of relationships or the overwhelming sense of melancholy they feel,' reasoned Spellman. While you may feel pressured to clear up things by others who have moved over the trauma, you should take your time and not get influenced, she advised. The Harassed Housekeeper Image credits: Getty Images Well, people in big families or with a large number of children are the harassed housekeepers. No matter how hard they try, the mess keeps on adding up, becoming a pile of clutter that is just never-ending. 'They may know exactly what to do and how to do it but just simply never seem to find the time.' With only one person decluttering and the others doing the very opposite, it might become a battle that you end up giving up on. The Nostalgic Knee-deeper Image credits: Getty Images Well, the last stage of cluttering or hoarding is a closet or garage so full of stuff, that you would better get lost in it than be able to figure out where to start. 'The increase in clutter may have been sudden or may have been a lifelong problem but the nostalgic knee-deeper is likely to feel defined by their clutter, stuck and disillusioned. 'Their journey toward a life with less is likely to be a long road and may require psychological intervention.' One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
American Military News
28-05-2025
- American Military News
Video/Pics: World War II memorabilia stolen from homeowner in Oakland
A collection of World War II memorabilia was stolen over Memorial Day weekend from a homeowner in Oakland, California. The military memorabilia was from multiple generations of the homeowner's family's military service. Forrest Spellman told Fox 2 that he had a 'ton of WWII memorabilia' that belonged to his grandfather, as well as medals and awards that belonged to his father. He also explained that four generations of his family served in the U.S. military. 'That military history has always meant so much to how much my upbringing was and who I am today and those articles meant a lot-as a symbol of that, who I am, my identity,' Spellman told Fox 2. Fox 2 reported that surveillance video shows a 'white, older-model pickup truck' pulling up to Spellman's driveway at roughly 4:45 a.m. on Saturday. Spellman told Fox 2 that he believes two thieves broke into his house by using a side door. Spellman explained that he and his wife were sleeping in their bedroom as the unidentified thieves were stealing their possessions from the home's second bedroom. READ MORE: Pics: Surprising WWII shipwreck finds revealed 'My wife and I woke up and heard footsteps right outside our bedroom door, and I was terrified,' Spellman told Fox 2. The Oakland homeowner noted that he left his bed, opened the door of the bedroom, and saw the silhouettes of the suspected thieves as they were leaving the front door of the house. A surveillance video and pictures shared on social media shows the white pickup truck, which features a black replacement fender on the front passenger's side of the vehicle, driving away from the scene early Saturday morning. Spellman described the incident as 'very upsetting' and explained that the break-in takes away from his 'sense of peace and security' in Oakland. The Oakland homeowner added that he hopes to 'reclaim' his sense of peace and security in the aftermath of the break-in. Spellman told Fox 2 that the World War II memorabilia stolen in Saturday's incident include his great-grandfather Philip Buck's dog tags, which were worn during the Battle of the Bulge. 'I think about them not only today, but all days of the year,' Spellman told Fox 2. 'I really hope to get those back, just memorialize that thought physically.' Spellman told Fox 2 that he had just moved into his home in Oakland last week. While Spellman acknowledged that a significant number of people had been working at the house throughout the week, he told Fox 2 that he did not have any idea who might be responsible for stealing his World War II memorabilia and other items.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
WWII memorabilia stolen from Oakland man whose family served in military for generations
The Brief WWII memorabilia was stolen from an Oakland Hills home over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Surveillance video shows thieves breaking in on Saturday while homeowner and wife were sleeping. Great -grandfather's dog dogs, owner's cat, Kingsley, are missing. OAKLAND, Calif. - An Oakland homeowner is trying to recover priceless World War II memorabilia belonging to his family, marking generations of military service to this country, which were stolen over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Forrest Spellman said this collection is about family pride and history. Adding to the loss, his cat, Kingsley, has been missing since the break-in. "A ton of WWII memorabilia belonging to my grandfather and also awards and medals belonging to my father as well," Spellman told KTVU on Monday. Four generations of his family served in the U.S. military. "That military history has always meant so much to how much my upbringing was and who I am today and those articles meant a lot-as a symbol of that, who I am, my identity," said Spellman. Surveillance video shows that on Saturday at about 4:45 a.m., the driver of a white older-model pickup truck pulled up to the driveway of Spellman's home. He said it appears the thieves broke in through a side door. "It's very upsetting. It takes away from my sense of peace and security up here, and I just hope to reclaim that back." Spellman said he and his wife were asleep in their bedroom when thieves were rummaging through their prized possessions, just steps away in a second bedroom. "My wife and I woke up and heard footsteps right outside our bedroom door, and I was terrified," said Spellman. He got up, opened his bedroom door, and saw silhouettes exiting the front door. Spellman said his great-grandfather's dog tags engraved with his name Philip Buck, including one marked in red for his allergy to penicillin, have great sentimental value. He said his great-grandfather served in WWII and wore those tags during the Battle of the Bulge."I think about them not only today, but all days of the year," Spellman said. "I really hope to get those back, just memorialize that thought physically." Surveillance video shows the thieves driving away, and their truck has a black replacement fender on the front passenger side. Spellman said he had just moved into the home earlier in the week, and that there were numerous people going in and out of the house doing work. But he said he has no idea who the thieves are. Spellman said he's optimistic because the police responded quickly and that his new neighbors have been helpful. Anyone who has information about the theft and recovers any of the stolen items should contact Oakland police. Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU
