SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Graduation can be a special time for high school seniors. Students have a chance to celebrate with their friends, family and teachers about what they learned both in and outside of the classroom, as well as say goodbye to everyone one more time before going to college or starting new careers.
Students at South Charleston High School will experience that bittersweet moment on May 20 when they walk across the stage at the Charleston Civic Center. Like most graduation ceremonies, a speaker will address the students during the ceremony and provide them with advice as they enter adulthood.
This year’s speaker will be also be giving the students straight talk based on her experience on the judicial bench and television.
Judge Judith Sheindlin, host of “Judge Judy,” is this year’s graduation speaker. Sheindlin, who has the top-rated daytime television show in the country, served for 24 years on New York City Family Court before launching her program in 1996.
Sheindlin’s appearance comes as the result of senior Sophie Mallory winning the Ultimate Graduation Contest hosted by the program. Participants were required to write a 250-word essay about why Sheindlin should speak at the graduation.
“In a state ravaged by poor grammar and immense levels of disrespect only one person could viably give a speech worth anything,” Mallory wrote. “That person is Judge Judith Sheindlin.”
Mallory said she found out about the contest in her civics class.
“My civics teacher loves ‘Judge Judy,'” she said. “She presented this contest to us and I joked with her that I had her back. It was kind of a joke to begin with, but then all the seniors that took her class did it.”
Mallory said students became more serious once they learned three South Charleston students were top 10 finalists in the nation. She said on the date of the winners being notified, she and the other students did not hear anything until 8th period.
“I get this call from Los Angeles,” she said of getting notified from a “Judge Judy” representative. “I didn’t know what to say, so I just took this breath in and in my head, I’m running through a million different things. I think I took a little while because she made sure I was still there.”
Mallory hung up the phone and ran to see her civics teacher, but had to message her after realizing she was not there.
“She said, ‘I’m in another teacher’s room,’ so I ran down there and was like, ‘I won,” Mallory recalled. “She was as excited as I am.”
South Charleston Principal Mike Arbogast said he is proud of Mallory for having her essay chosen, but advised people to treat the event and the students with dignity.
“This is not a public appearance,” he said. “This is a children’s graduation and a rite of passage, and we hope the public respects that.”
Mallory said her graduating class is excited to hear Sheindlin’s address.
“This is just so cool,” she said.
Arbogast said they have worked on security procedures for Sheindlin’s appearance.