Wildcat Alumni Spotlight:
David Licorish
David Licorish graduated from JVL in 2005. (WOW!!) After finishing high school, he went to college, tried out several majors, and realized nothing seemed to "fit" him. In 2009, David joined the United States Army National Guard and has been there for 14 years. His occupational specialty is called Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE). David was on active duty orders for Joint Task Force Empire Shield. In March 2022, he joined the United States Park Police, a federal police agency under the national park system. Their mission is to protect national monuments and parkways. He was then deployed to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for a year, and now he is back doing daily duties full-time at the U.S. Park Police in Maryland and is working part-time in the U.S. Army. He looks forward to working in NYC in the near future.
David is most proud of: "I'm pretty humble. I’d say the thing I'm most proud of is being a father to my 3 girls."
David’s best Wildcat memory: David really loved his english and math teachers. In his previous high school before JVL, he didn't like math. In JVL, his math teacher inspired him. He also really enjoyed his internship where he worked as a school teacher. He LOVED teaching children. "That's kind of what I do now in the army -- teach new soldiers. Teaching during my internship translated to how I teach my soldiers. You can't take those skills for granted!" David said.
David advice for current Wildcats: “For me, I never knew I was going to go to the army. You really don't know where you'll end up. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what you want. Really think hard about: WHERE DO YOU WANT TO END UP IN LIFE? I still feel like I could have done more. If someone would have told me you can do anything, I would have had that confidence to do more early on. Sometimes kids need that kind of support and guidance. Go to your internship! These skills are skills that you may use in the future, and you may not realize how important they are in the moment. Harness everything you're learning now so you can utilize it all in the future!"
* If you have any questions about the joining the army or would like to reach out to David, his email is: davidilicorish@gmail.com
If you know of or are, yourself a Wildcat Superstar Alum who would like to share an inspiring story with our community, we would love to hear from you! Email @ Nbogutsky_SCT@jvlwildcat.org
How Much Screen Time is TOO MUCH Screen Time?
Screens can tempt kids away from physical activity and imaginative play, and could also stunt development of critical skills like emotional self-regulation if overused. Kids who spent a lot of "screen time" at the age of 2 were more likely to develop atypical sensory-processing behaviors before age 3, a recent study showed.
Such sensory-processing behaviors include include "sensation seeking" and "sensation avoiding." Sensation seeking is when a child seeks out intense sensory stimulation. Sensation avoiding is when a child becomes more opposed and avoidant to intense sensations or stimuli.
The National Children's Study's data focused on childrens' environments and their influences on the child's growth, health, and development. Caregivers were asked about their children at the 1 year mark two questions:
1. "Does your child watch TV and/or DVDs?"
2. "Over the past 30 days, on average, how many hours per day did your child watch TV and/or DVDs?"
For the 1 year old children, the screen time used during their first year "demonstrated a 105% higher likelihood of later displaying high instead of typical sensory behaviors related to low registration by 33 months. For 18-month-olds, each additional hour of screen time per day was associated with a 23% higher chance of later exhibiting high sensory behaviors related to sensation avoiding and low registration by 33 months." Regarding 2 year olds, any extra hour of daily screen time demonstrated a 20% higher likelihood of high sensation seeking, sensory sensitivity, and sensation avoiding within the next year.
The researchers that conducted this study claimed that these atypical sensory-processing behaviors relate to various health concerns linked to screen time for kids. These behaviors include sleeping disorders, language delay, behavioral problems, and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder).
Curious what's happening in NY schools? You can read more here.
Resource of the Month:
The Legal Aid Society
They protect and defend the rights of everyday New Yorkers who need legal support, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how they identify. Everyone deserves equal access to justice. Their mission is to be a beacon of hope for any New Yorkers that feel neglected. They work to defend their clients and dismantle the hidden, systemic barriers that can prevent them from thriving.
What they do includes:
- Advancing LGBTQ+ rights
- Advocating for Financial Rights & Assisting Entrepreneurs
- Defending the Accused & Incarcerated
- Empowering People with Disability and Health Issues
- Engaging and Investing in Communities
- Fighting for Racial Equality
- Lifting the Voices of Children & Adolescents
- Preventing Homelessness & Saving Homes
- Pursuing Justice for Juveniles
- Reforming Law & Policy
- Standing with Immigrants
- Supporting Supporting of Violence & Navigating Divorce
- Upholding Workers' Rights
The Legal Aid's core values are based on the themes of Accountability, Trust, Empathy, Equality & Equity, Respect, and Transparency.
"I still—after thirty years—love going to court. I love fighting the fight and representing people who are wrongfully accused. There’s nothing better than that."
