UHS leaders join Judge Judy's effort to mentor students

A dedicated group of women who are leaders at UHS is joining with TV’s “Judge Judy” to mentor students in Greater Binghamton.

The newly formed branch of Her Honor Mentoring held a kickoff luncheon, sponsored by the UHS Foundation, as UHS mentors met their Binghamton City High School mentees for the first time.

Students enjoyed checking out the UHS merchandise and the UHS-catered meal, as they set up meeting times with their new mentors.

Her Honor Mentoring was established in 2006 by Judith “Judge Judy” Sheindlin and her stepdaughter, attorney Nicole Sheindlin, said Kristina Schrull-Valiente, director of Cardiopulmonary, who coordinates HHM at UHS.

“HHM seeks to empower students via professional connections and the opportunity to earn money as they complete their journaling over the school year,” Ms. Schrull-Valiente said.

The program also encourages an avenue for students to consider careers in the healthcare field, she said.

Nicole Sheindlin recently visited UHS to help kick off the program in the Southern Tier.

HHM starts with 10 hours of mentoring, plus feedback by the middle of the school year, for which the student earns $1,000. By repeating the process for 10 more hours, the student earns another $1,000.

Leaders commit to a minimum of 20 hours of contact time with the student.

A HERO grant $2,000 is funded for each mentee, UHS will sponsor four girls via a grant received from the Women’s Fund of CFSCNY (Community Foundation of South-Central New York, BHS will sponsor another five girls from a grant they received. Topics for the 2023/2024 sessions include financial literacy, college/career readiness, resume development, networking, brand development and career exploration.

Former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin became nationally known as the no-nonsense star of “Judge Judy,” an arbitration-based reality court show that debuted on CBS in 1996, plus the new series, “Judy Justice.”

In partnership with her stepmother, Nicole Sheindlin started Her Honor Mentoring while working as a senior staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Bronx County, N.Y.

“We believe that connecting strong, positive female role models with young women doesn't just change one thing—it changes everything,” the Sheindlins said on the program’s website. “Mentoring is our tool to connect the needs of our public education system with powerful resources in the business community.”

Many women who are UHS leaders enthusiastically expressed interest in becoming mentors. This year, the UHS mentors are: Anne DePugh, Carrie Davis, Irene Sabin, Kristina Schrull-Valiente, Laura Northrup, Leigh Briscoe-Dwyer, Lisa Stank, Mary Kielma and Rafaela Spence.