We are shining the mentor spotlight on Shaina Negron, Binghamton class of 2009. Currently, Shaina works for J.P. Morgan.
Shaina was honored in 2013 as a Junior Honoree at JHP’s annual Taste of New York gala. She says, “At Binghamton, we had a very solid group and we hung out a lot. When I was honored at TONY, some of my closest friends from JHP were there with me. It was really nice to be honored and be able to invite my co-workers and friends to celebrate JHP and its impact on my life.”
We recently sat down with Shaina to catch up!
JHP: How has JHP impacted you?
Shaina: JHP has been such a connector for me, from friendships and relationships, to my career. I continue to stay involved, because I feel so strongly about the impact the program has on students. When I was an undergrad, I used the program to gain social and cultural benefits of Judaism. We had such a great time at student leader trips, going to Penn for mentoring, even hiking out into the middle of the woods for a ropes course. Now as an alumnus, I’ve reflected on my experience and I only want to pay it forward to current JHP interns and to Menachem for keeping the program going.
JHP: What drew you to JHP versus other Jewish campus programming?
Shaina: Before college, my family was not super religious, we didn’t go to our synagogue weekly, but we were there more than once a year. [I went to Jewish camp and was involved with other activities including Israeli dance at my Temple. My parents instilled in me, from a young age, the importance of my Jewish identity.]* When I got to college, I still cared about Judaism and I wanted to get involved [to keep that identity alive.]* At Binghamton, Chabad seemed like a little too much for me and Hillel didn’t appeal to me either. JHP was an amazing way to scratch the Jewish itch. With my fellow interns, we hung out together, we learned together, we talked about Jewish things together.. . it really [solidified the idea]* that I will always be a part of the Jewish community. I was scared that when I got to college and got so involved with everything else that I wouldn’t have time for Judaism or would stop caring, but I found JHP, and that made me stay connected. It strengthened the importance of marrying someone Jewish and having Judaism in my life forever.
*Correction from a previous edit.
JHP: Speaking of marrying someone Jewish, how did you meet your significant other?
Shaina: The day after I was honored for TONY, I went on Birthright through a JNF program with Shorashim. [My best friend's father in on the board of JNF and encouraged me to travel with them. Andres, my fiance's great grandfather was the West Coast Director of JNF, so he was on my same trip.]* Long story short, I met my fiance, who I will be marrying very soon. I like to say it was my own Jewish fairy tale.
*Correction from a previous edit.
JHP: A Jewish fairytale! I think that is THE definition of Beshert!
JHP: What is your favorite memory from JHP?
Shaina: Okay, this is going to sound kind of cheesy, but I really looked forward to our weekly meetings, every Tuesday. We built such a strong community of Jewish students and these people were my closest friends. We would come to Chabad and the Rebbitzin would give us a 5-10 minute spiel about the upcoming holiday. She was so welcoming, we could ask her literally anything, an open book! Every week, Adam Goodman would ask ridiculous questions, but it would invoke such great discussions.
Thank you so much Shaina for being a fantastic mentor and role model for JHP and the Jewish community!
