Master Maggie:
Women of Distinction Nassau County 2023
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD 6/12/23 MEADOW DRIVE PTA
Master Messina has been a fixture in the Albertson Community for years. She and her staff work hard to not only teach the physical aspects of martial arts, but they also make sure kids understand these 5 tenants: Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control, and Indomitable Spirit. The TaeCole staff started an after school club at Meadow Drive School my first year as president, providing the opportunity to learn
tae kwon do to kiddos who can't take class at the dochang several times a week. TaeCole also started clubs at Hampton Street School and Jackson Avenue School, reaching tons of Mineola students and providing them the chance to earn belts. And those belts are earned with this school. Nothing is given.
Well... hold on. I guess that's not entirely true. While students have to earn their belts, (put in the work, give their best effort), that's not to say that Master Messina and her staff don't give. They give generously, in abundance. During the pandemic, TaeCole donated to the community over and over again, filling gift baskets and goody bags for PTA's efforts to brighten kids' days by leaving something special on their doorsteps. When my own kids were in the hospital hooked up to machines to keep them breathing, the owners of TaeCole dropped teddy bears for them on my back stoop AND allowed my son Rhett to assist the belt test as a second grader, knowing I couldn’t be there and hadn’t seen my oldest kids for over a week, and wanting to help him feel like life was going on as normal. I’ll never forget when parents sent me videos of him flying across the Meadow gym floor and breaking wood in an insane running jump kick.
TaeCole’s big-heartedness doesn't stop there. When my oldest son attended TaeCole, the owners gave a free uniform and membership to a 2nd grade friend of his who was new to the USA. I translated for his parents that he was being offered a scholarship and they were amazed and very grateful. That boy’s eyes grew wide when Master Messina handed him a fresh, white uniform. He couldn't believe it and the boy treasured the experience of his last year in Mineola, the only time he's participated in an organized after school activity.
TaeCole TKD is a sponsor for several Mineola PTA units, including our own. At the Middle School where I am currently PTA President, when the Harlem Wizards event came up this year, Master Messina sponsored us again by adding their sister organization, Female Fighters Matter Too. They donate prizes to our fundraisers every year without fail and offer scholarships when families need a little help.
TaeCole shows up for kids.
It is my extreme pleasure to award TaeCole Taekwondo with the New York State PTA Community Service Award. Thank you Master Messina, and all the staff at TaeCole TKD.
Master Messinas Instructor
Brooklyn NY 1986
We have been nominated, best on Long Island three Years in a row!
North Shores Best for the Second year!
We really love this place. Both my children go, my daughter who started at 5 and my son who started at 4. My daughter is now 10 years old and working towards her junior blackbelt. We started Tae Cole because my daugher who was 5 at the time was very shy and wouldn't speak up for herself. Oh, boy has Tae Cole given her confidence and a voice. She is a strong spirited and happy girl now and knows when to stand up for herself. My son is now six years old and the discipline is good for him. TaeCole really cares about our kids and they do not hesitate to give back to the community (I have personal experience as I am on the PTO at my children's school and a Girl Scout Leader) They give our children tools for self defense, bullying, stranger danger and teach them respect for themselves and for others. They also try to make it fun for them at the same time. They hold extra fun classes for the kids to attend. Master Messina and Master Ray are not in it for the money, they are in it because they love what they do. They really care about the children and work hard to help us parents make them good people. I highly, highly recommend them. We have referred TaeCole many times and no one has walked away unhappy.
Taecole is the best martial arts place to go to. Master Messina, Master Ray, and all the staff members are nice, helpful, and caring. They teach kids like me, the importance of respect, honesty, having perseverance, having self-confidence, and most of all how to defend themselves. I started at 5 years old (white belt) and still continue at 12 years old (black belt.) I used to get bullied a long time age and now nobody messes with me and I stick up for myself and others. Thanks to Master Messina and Master Ray and all the other staff members at Taecole, I wouldn't have the confidence to stick up for myself now. I hope to you enjoyed what I had to say and I hope you make a wise decision and pick Taecole Tae Kwon Do!!
Yes, Taecole TKD is a great martial arts school, but it is so much more. Our two kids have been going there for over a year and we are so happy to see that they LOVE it, that they look forward to going there, and that they feel great after they've been there. Master Ray and Master Messina are not just highly skilled at martial arts, they are highly valued and appreciated life teachers. We are so glad we wandered into their school in the summer of 2014 and so lucky to have them in our community.
When our son Kaiden turned 4, we decided to enroll him in a physical activity class where he could not only interact with other kids but to also learn valuable life lessons. We felt that martial arts would provide him with essential tools he would need throughout his life. We initially signed him up with another local dojo. Sadly, he hated every second of it and we were not very happy parents. When we discovered TAECOLE, Kaiden was worried that it'd be the same horrible type of class. Thankfully, it was the complete opposite and Kaiden loved it from day 1. Master Messina, Master Ray, and their talented staff (most of which have been students from an early age) are an extension of our family. They are all a very caring bunch and have helped Kaiden become a respectful, considerate, and confident 10 year old young man. What we love about TAECOLE is that Masters Messina and Ray not only teach tae kwon do as expected, but more importantly, they cleverly coach the children on how to be responsible, kind, honest, and resourceful HUMANS! We are constantly amazed with Kaiden's progress as what he learns at TAECOLE filters through in all other areas of his life. TAECOLE Tae Kwon Do is a blessing in our lives!
Ever since my son Matthew started with TaeCole 3 years ago he has become a much more confident individual. The discipline that he has been thought by Master Messina and all of the instructors has developed him into a respectable,considerate young boy.He enjoys going to the class and it has made him excel in every aspect of his life. I strongly recommend that every parent should seriously look into enrolling their child in TaeCole because the value learned is unmeasurable.
