In schools across Nassau County, many young people are experiencing difficult times without a clear path to work through their emotions. Depending on a students’ needs and circumstances, school counselors may offer a unique solution of time with a trustworthy adult where the student decides how to fill that time.
The Alan B. Hodish Mentorship Program celebrated the completion of its 29th year on May 21, hosted by the Nassau County Bar Association in Mineola. Almost two hundred students from nine schools sat with their mentors, shared a meal and expressed their appreciation for the time shared.
“I was a teacher at what is now called Barack Obama in Hempstead, taught there for many years, then I went to law school at St. John’s,” Hodish explained. “That’s when we started this with a principal of mine and a couple of people here from the bar association. We felt it was a good way to give back to youngsters, give them a good role model… it’s a special day for them and a special day for us.”
Throughout the mentorship program, students from across Nassau County met bi-weekly with members of the bar association, who visited their schools. When a mentor is assigned to a student, they are never told why exactly the counselor identified a need for mentorship; the premise of the program is to allow a student to have time away from expectations and assumptions that would exist otherwise.
During the sessions, students have time to shape as they see fit: they can talk about their personal interests, their aspirations or, if they wish, the things that have been bothering them.
The program is named after Alan Hodish, an East Meadow attorney specializing in personal injury, criminal law and education law. His previous career of 20 years was teaching in Hempstead’s elementary schools. He combined these facets of his life 29 years ago to create the student mentorship program.
Participating schools included W.T. Clarke and Woodland middle schools in East Meadow; Jericho Middle School; and schools in the Westbury, Uniondale and Hempstead districts.
East Meadow Attorney Ted Rosenthal has been involved with the program for over 20 years. Throughout this time, he remembers many of the students whose lives he helped shape.
“One year, the mentee I had lost his father that summer before these are middle school kids, so they’re sixth to eighth grade, and at the end of the year I got a telephone call from his mother saying that I had a real impact,” he said. “it’s very, very rewarding... it is one of the best things that I do during a year.”
Past Association President Dorian Glover is one of the mentors in the program, directly observing how their work affects young people for the better.
“I often feel like the students give more to me than I give to them,” he said. “It’s such a wonderful experience to be with them, share with them some of the ideas we have about shaping their future, but more importantly, listening to them… every class is different, so you have to do a lot more listening than talking, so when you meet them where they are, you can provide the guidance that you believe they may need in order to ensure that their brightest future.”
James Joseph, outgoing president of the Nassau County Bar Association, is an advocate for civic duty within the association. In addition to the mentorship program, the association supports other initiatives.
“We are one of the largest suburban bar associations in the country; we have about 4,000 members and we serve not only local attorneys, but the community,” he said. “We have various charities … there’s always events going on, and of course today’s event is one of quite a few that we’re really proud of, where we have a real impact on the community.”
