TIMES, THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014 • 57 DEATH NOTICES -CONTINUED FROM PG. 34- STUART J. NUGENT of Staten Island died on Friday, April 25, at the age of 48. A native of Brooklyn, he was the beloved husband of Dina Calabrese, devoted father of Kyle Nugent and dear brother of William Nugent. Services were offered at Morton Funeral Home/Ridgewood Chapels, 663 Grandview Ave., Ridgewood, followed by cremation at Rosehill Crematory, Linden, N.J. LaGuardia Community College Student Earns A Lofty Scholarship out it was just a dream. “One year ago I was struggling to make it from semester to semester and was wondering if graduating from LaGuardia was possible. Now, I feel like I was reborn. I can start dreaming big because the scholarship has not only eased my financial burden, it has opened the doors to so many opportunities.” Dreaming big now means having the opportunity to apply to such selective institutions as Columbia University and New York University’s Stern School of Business where she will pursue a degree in economics. The dream extends to a master’s in economic development and a career at the United Nations where she hopes to help developing countries find sustainable solutions to their economic problems. Her desire to aid developing countries was planted years ago when she was growing up in communist Romania. “It was a time where human freedom was denied, people lived in poverty, basic food products were scarce and electricity was rationed,” said Mihailescu, who recalled studying by candlelight because the electricity was shut off in the evenings. “Looking back, I don’t know how people survived.” At the age of 23, Mihailescu fled Romania after landing a job as a bartender on a cruise liner. “I knew I had to grab any opportunity, so when the job on the cruise ship came I jumped on it,” she said. The cruise liner took her around the world and six years later she finally arrived at her desired destination: The United States. “I always dreamt of coming to America and completing my education so I could make a contribution to society and make the world a better place,” she said. “I know it sounds cliché, but this is what I truly want to do.” Mihailescu added that this was the dream that her mother—a single mom who raised Mihailescu and her sister on her own, worked hard, but always had time to help others— wished for her. “She was my greatest inspiration,” she said. “Her example has given me values by which I have come to understand are the two most important things in life: realizing one’s full potential while helping to make the world a better place. I have been inspired by her integrity, dedication, work ethic and charity, and have sought out activities that reflect my life philosophy, educational goals and professional aims.” The émigré settled in Queens and dedicated herself to raising her two daughters. All that time she wished to go back to school, but her devotion to her children and her financial constraints put her dream on hold. She finally got the opportunity in 2011, when, at the age of 37, she enrolled in LaGuardia as a business administration major. But after being out of school for 17 years, she began her college experience with a host of insecurities. “During my first semester, I said to myself, ‘do I belong here? How am I going to manage.’” Despite feeling completely “lost” at first, Mihailescu refused to give up. She concentrated on her studies and took advantage of the college’s resources—tutoring and department review sessions—and soon her professors were handing her back perfect exams and papers. Today, she manages to maintain a perfect 4.0 G.P.A., while juggling family responsibilities and dealing with her constant financial challenges. “Cristina is a fighter with the determination of a champion,” said Accounting Professor Rajendra Bhika. “She sees difficult periods of her life as opportunities for great learning and triumph, and believes that education is the only way she will be able to face the difficulties that are still to come.” The same intelligence, energy and commitment she brought to the classroom were also on display in her extracurricular activities: a member of the Honors Student Advisory Committee, the student-centered collective of the Honors Program that organizes transfer activities; representative of a student delegation of Mozambique at the 2013 Model U.N. conference; a participant in UNICEF’s 2013 “Fulfilling the Promise” challenge; and an accounting tutor. Throughout her time at LaGuardia, the college provided support in several ways. While she was taking classes, Mihailescu was able to enroll her youngest daughter, Sophie, in the Early Childhood Learning Center. And since her international student status allows her to work on campus, her part-time job as a tutor paid a small stipend. Currently, she is on a paid internship at MetLife’s Legal Affairs Department. “Cristina’s achievements are simply outstanding,” said Dr. Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia. “Despite insurmountable obstacles, she persevered and accomplished what she set out to do. And LaGuardia and its faculty and staff were always there to help make sure her goals were attained. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is to be applauded for recognizing and supporting the talented students that emerge from LaGuardia and other community colleges.” With graduation in June, Mihailescu is busy working on her transfer applications to several selective, private institutions. But, wherever she decides to go, she said that with strength and perseverance, she is determined to achieve her ultimate goals for her and her daugthers. “Every time I look into their eyes,” she said, “I know that I have to work harder to show them that we can achieve our dreams regardless of any obstacles we encounter.” -CONTINUED FROM PG. 19- TOURISM Street Cleanup, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteer event with free t-shirts on first-come basis. Free, but must RSVP by email for details to [email protected]. • Saturday, May 3, Jane’s Walk in Rockaway Park, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join the Beach 116th Street Partnership and celebrate the legacy of famed author and urbanist Jane Jacobs with a guided tour by Vivian Carter, author of Images of America: Rockaway Beach. Free, but must RSVP by email for details to [email protected]. • Saturday, May 3, Mario Cantone LIVE!, 8 p.m. His celebrity impersonations and hilarious musical impressions are dead-on. Best known as Anthony Marantino in the HBO series Sex in the City, this outrageously joyful stand-up comedian and stage actor has appeared on the Today show and as a guest host on The View. He garnered critical acclaim for his Tonynominated, one-man show Laugh Whore. $40, Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside, www.visitqpac.org. • Saturday, May 3, To The Fair! Remembering the New York World’s Fair 1964-1965, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Watch documentary clips featuring Robert Moses and John F. Kennedy, the film Lucy at the World’s Fair, promotional and pavilion films, models of dinosaurs, newsreels, photographs, slides, music, memorabilia, poster art, and much more. Free. Central Queens Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica, www.queenslibrary.org. • Saturday, May 3, Sansho the Bailiff, 2 p.m.; Street of Shame, 7 p.m. The Museum of the Moving Image is honoring Kenji Mizoguchi (1898-1956), who produced 85 films that spanned the silent and sound eras in Japan. Sansho is a story of human suffering and resilience. In feudal Japan, a nobleman’s children are kidnapped and sold into slavery to the merciless Sansho the Bailiff. Street of Shame concerns five women living as daughters, mothers, wives, loan sharks and dreamers when they are not selling their bodies as prostitutes. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us. • Sunday, May 4, The Mother of All Expos, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. New York City’s best resources, experts, entertainment, and shopping experiences at the ultimate day for parents and kids. $10-$45/free for children under 2. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Corona, www.themamasexpo.com. • Sunday, May 4, Queens Music Fest, noon to 4 p.m. The Queens Symphonic Band hosts this inaugural event, featuring music by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and Igor Stravinsky, as well as solo performances. $10/$8 seniors and students. Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside, www.visitQPAC.org. • Sunday, May 4, Farming in Flushing, 2:30 p.m. A lecture by Gus Schumacher, whose family has been in the farming industry since his great-grandfather emigrated from Germany to NYC in 1848. In 1888, his grandfather, Fred Schumacher, moved the family farm to Flushing, where they farmed until 1968. $5. Queens Historical Society, Weeping Beech Park, 143-35 37th Ave., Flushing, www.queenshistoricalsociety.org. • Sunday, May 4, Celebrate Queens Farm, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sheep shearing, spinning demonstration, hayrides, tours, plant sale, live music, locally made food. $5. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy, Floral Park, www.queensfarm.org. • Sunday, May 4, A Taste of Rockaway Beach, noon to 6 p.m. Buy a pass for $10 and try each of the 11 participating restaurants. Rockaway Beach, www.rockawaybeachheart.org. • Sunday, May 4, Song of Home, 2 p.m.; Oyuki the Virgin, 3:30 p.m.; Sisters of the Gion, 6:30 p.m. The Museum of the Moving Image honors Kenji Mizoguchi (1898- 1956), who produced 85 films that spanned the silent and sound eras in Japan. Song of Home contrasts two country-bred boys: a coach driver who has never left his home; and a student who returns from Tokyo with city-slicker affectations and Western jazz records. In Oyuki the Virgin, two geishas flee their village with aristocrats and bourgeoisie. Though these prostitutes are supposedly beneath this company, they prove to be morally superior to their social betters. Sisters of the Gion is a devastating portrait of two geisha sisters—one deferential and loyal, the other defiant and mercenary. MMI, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, www.movingimage.us. “It’s In Queens” column is produced by the Queens Tourism Council with the hope that readers will enjoy the borough’s attractions. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 20- +++ SABRY F. GOHARA MD. of Toledo, Ohio died on Friday, April 25, at the age of 72. A native of Cairo, Egypt, he was the beloved husband of Amira Faltaoua. Services were offered at Morton Funeral Home/Ridgewood Chapels, 663 Grandview Ave., Ridgewood, followed by interment at Toledo Memorial Cemetery, Toledo, Ohio. +++ MARGARET LOUNSBERY of Surprise, Ariz. died on Tuesday, April 22, at the age of 88. A native of Brooklyn, she was the wife of the late Jesse and devoted mother of the late Jesse. She is also survived by two grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered at St. Aloysius Church, Ridgewood, followed by interment at Long Island National Cemetery, Farmingdale, L.I., under the direction of Morton Funeral Home/Ridgewood Chapels, 663 Grandview Ave., Ridgewood. +++ GHEORGHE MANTA of Fresh Meadows died on Wednesday, April 23, at the age of 76. A native of Bucharest, Romania, he was the beloved husband of Mariea Baciu, devoted father of Adriana Lipan, Elena Pau, Carmen Turkoanje and Gabriella Baroumis, loving son of Constantin Manta and Maria and dear brother of Florentina Manta, Mihai Manta, Mircea Manta, Mitica Manta, Constantin Manta and Ion Manta. He is also survived by six grandchildren. Services were offered at Morton Funeral Home/Ridgewood Chapels, 663 Grandview Ave., Ridgewood, by Rev. Viorel Dimitrescu, followed by interment at Flushing Cemetery.+ ++
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