The Her Honor Mentoring program, now in its 17th year, is funded by Judge Judy Sheindlin and was developed by her daughter Nicole Sheindlin
Judge Judy explains the 'genesis' of Her Honor mentoring program
Judge Judy Sheindlin says Her Honor provides important career guidance to "underserved" high schoolers.
LARCHMONT, N.Y. – Judge Judy Sheindlin at the most recent Her Honor luncheon imparted some wisdom to high schoolers as they prepare for the professional world.
"Once a woman achieves something professionally or vocationally, she usually does it better," Sheindlin told Her Honor mentees at the Larchmont Shore Club on Friday after wrapping up a humorous narrative about the differences between men and women.
The Her Honor Mentoring program, now in its 17th year, is funded by the famed TV judge and was developed by her daughter Nicole Sheindlin. It matches young women from local high schools with professional women across a spectrum of industries who provide hands-on work experience, advice and guidance about succeeding in the workplace.
During weekly meetings, mentoring pairs explore topics related to education, careers, and financial literacy. The mentoring program is administered by Volunteer New York!
Judge Judy with mentees at the Her Honor luncheon in Larchmont, New York. (Lynda Shenkman Oxygen House Photography Studio )
Sheindlin encouraged attendees Friday to not be totally dependent on another person because those are the only "unhappy" women she's ever encountered. She praised Her Honor for "exposing young women to career accomplished women — how happy, totally fulfilled you are as a human being, by having something that is totally yours — not your mate's, not your children's, totally yours."
Sheindlin said when her daughter first approached her about the idea, they determined it would be designed for high school seniors who were "underserved" and just needed an "extra boost." Many of the kids in the program, she told Fox News Digital, didn't have someone to turn to for homework help, didn't know how to dress for success in interviews and were lost when it came to other career skills. These young women were paired with experts in different fields for a year.
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Judge Judy chats with Fox News Digital ahead of the Her Honor luncheon. (Laura Carrione)
Additionally, Sheindlin said it was important to help young women know their financial worth in business and to teach them skills like banking and investing.
"It gave kids who work hard in school, who want to go to college, who want to be successful in whatever they do," she told Fox News Digital, "it gave them that extra little ‘we care as a community, we care about your success.' That's the genesis."
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Karen Cheeks Lomax, a six-time mentor, former CEO of My Sisters Place and current owner of Brownie & Co., called the Her Honor mission "extraordinary" because it is "inspiring young minds" and opening up access to different parts of their communities. She later spoke to attendees about the symbiotic relationship she's enjoyed with her mentees through the program.
"There's still things I can learn from her," Lomax said while introducing her former mentee Nia Jordon Fears, encouraging attendees to keep "paying it forward."
Fears, who has a background in electrical engineering and physics, herself became a mentor to Mikhaila Gordon, an aspiring computer engineer who attends the Denzel Washington School of the Arts.
"When I first heard that Nia was pursuing the same career path as me, it was a profound and somewhat surreal experience," Gordon said at the luncheon. "It felt like looking into a future version of myself, a reflection of my aspirations and dreams through her accomplishments."
"Her Honor has truly sparked a desire within me to contribute positively and be a catalyst for change in my own small way," she added.
Before becoming Judge Judy, Sheindlin said the best piece of advice she ever received before embarking on a career came from her dad.
"He said, ‘don’t screw up,'" she laughed. "Although I don't think he said ‘screw up.’ So whatever I do, in the back of my head I say, ‘Well there are two paths. You can take this one — it may be a more expedient path, but is it the one that’s potentially most likely to give you grief at the end."
"I think women should find something they're naturally good at and figure out how to make a living at it, and pursue whatever is necessary so that you have that vocation or profession in your pocket," she continued. "The only time I know that women are unhappy is when they are totally dependent upon someone else for their sustenance. That's my experience over eight decades."
The cast of "Judy Justice" on set. L-R (Sarah Rose, Judge Judy Sheindlin, Whitney Kumar, Kevin Rasco) (Michael Becker for Amazon Freevee)
While known for her 25 years on the bench for "Judge Judy," Sheindlin now presides over cases on "Judy Justice," returning with new episodes weekdays on Amazon Freevee and Prime Video later this summer.
Fox News Digital's Josh Comins, Diego-Christopher Lopez and Laura Carrione contributed to this report.
Cortney O'Brien is an Editor at Fox News. Twitter: @obrienc2
