Patty Jacob Judge: “Life is full of surprises!”

The youngest of four, Patty Jacob Judge has lived her entire life in Stockton and Linden, California. Her close-knit family spent a great amount of time traveling to all corners of the United States in their 1954 Plymouth station wagon. It was during these family times that Patty developed a lifelong love for the outdoors and sports, blossoming into a natural leader. She excelled in athletics, playing volleyball, basketball and softball. In her senior year at Franklin High School, Patty was named Female Athlete of the Year, the very year that Title 9 was signed into law.  

Throughout her years as a student at Trinity Lutheran School, Franklin High and then college, Patty was serious about life, highly focused and detail oriented. She entered San Joaquin Delta College in 1973 and earned her AA in 1975. There she continued developing her love for the outdoors and recreation, determined to be a physical education teacher.  

In the fall of 1975, she set off for college at Fresno State University, where she became the mascot, the beloved bulldog, and received her BA in physical education. She fell in love and married Wayne Judge, also a physical education major, and moved back to her hometown of Stockton. In 1985, Patty and Wayne adopted John Jacob; seven years later, Aaron James was welcomed into the family. 

Patty spent 33 years pursuing her passion to teach, with a heavy emphasis on student activities and leadership development. She spent her first six years teaching at her childhood school, Trinity Lutheran, 19 years at her alma mater, Franklin High School, then on to Cesar Chavez High School and retiring after two years at Health Careers Academy. In each of these positions, Patty served in a variety of roles including physical education teacher, cheerleading advisor, student activities director, student council/leadership instructor and various other leadership positions. Patty retired from Stockton Unified in 2016.  

During her career in education, Patty was highly involved in CADA, California Association of Directors of Activities, an organization to promote and support leadership development through student activities. Joining the organization in 1986, she served in many roles, including president. “The value of CADA lies in the hearts of all of us. As teachers and educators, we have a passion for working with kids, to really help them become all that they can become,’’ shared Patty. For 30-plus years, she gave all her efforts to CADA and in 2013 was inducted into the CADA Hall of Fame. Three years later, Patty received the coveted CADA Jack Moore Award. 

Just as Patty’s parents provided a safe Christian home, Patty and Wayne have also raised their family with these values, emphasizing that Jesus “loves ALL the children of the world.” While Patty’s career has been rewarding and fulfilling, she shared, “My greatest accomplishment and achievement in life has been the love and development of our family. Each of our boys has taken unique paths to make an impact in the world. We are proud of their accomplishments and their efforts to make the world a better place.”

Little did Patty know that her years of student leadership would be paving the way for an opportunity to work closely with her son, Aaron, who watched and observed his mom, a highly respected mentor and educator focused on developing student leaders, as he too was becoming a leader in his own right. Aaron’s desire to lead began more than 20 years ago when he began dreaming about becoming a professional athlete. 

“Aaron’s dream created an opportunity for our family to begin discussions about the opportunities and challenges that professional athletes experience and the importance of leadership, being a mentor and role model,” Patty shared. It was apparent that by grade five, at Science Camp, Aaron not only stood out physically, he also stood up for what is right and good. Growing into a quiet leader, Aaron was willing to help others and would fall quietly to the end of the line, always observing and learning. He was thankful and appreciative of his God-given athletic abilities and strove to excel. At Linden High School, already standing tall at 6’7”, Aaron was an all-star athlete in football, basketball and baseball. During his college years, he played baseball as a Fresno State Bulldog, the alma mater of both parents. Throughout his high school and college years, the family discussions became even more serious. When he was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2013, his dream to begin a non-profit foundation was on the horizon.  His baseball skills continued to develop, and his fan base grew. In January 2016, his athletic dreams became reality while his dream to begin a foundation grew; he envisioned a foundation that would focus on leadership and citizenship development. 

In April 2017, “ALL RISE” became Aaron’s nickname and caught on like wildfire, sparking the idea for the perfect name of the foundation: The Aaron Judge ALL RISE Foundation, or AJARF. As founder, Aaron strategically developed his board of directors and affectionately appointed his mom executive director, knowing she would lead the success of the foundation. 

The mission was developed: “ALL RISE will inspire children and youth to become responsible citizens by engaging them in activities that encourage them to reach unlimited possibilities.” Now, it was time to implement!

In the beginning, the focus was on San Joaquin County. It was all they could handle, yet the board hoped their future would allow expansion into the communities that influenced Aaron’s life. Within a short time, due to a significant donation, the foundation expanded to include Fresno County, California, and Bronx County, New York. Aspiring Leaders, Mini-Grants, ProCamps and other ALL RISE programs are supported through the foundation and offer youth the opportunity to grow as leaders. 

The first organized event for the foundation was the ALL RISE ProCamp in Linden, Aaron’s hometown. Wanting to emphasize the influence his coaches and teammates have had on his career, Aaron selected a leadership team consisting of his Little League, high school and travel ball teammates and coaches! Linden High baseball players assisted, and 120 Linden Little Leaguers were the participants of the first ProCamp! Aaron was there, teaching baseball skills along with leadership and citizenship training.    

Understanding the importance of ongoing education and encouragement needed by students throughout high school, the foundation established the Aspiring Leaders program to give elementary through high school students the opportunity to learn, grow and improve their leadership skills. “We have provided registration and transportation for Linden Unified students to attend in-person CADA student leadership conferences, as well as Fresno area students to attend virtually. These events provide keynote speakers, hands-on sessions and team activities for participants to develop and enhance both their citizenship and leadership skills,” stated Aaron. The foundation will host two CADA Leadership Development Days in the spring of 2022, supporting 200 fifth- through eighth-grade students at both Linden Unified and Stockton Unified School Districts. While students were distance learning during COVID, ALL RISE distributed GLU Mobile headphones to Linden Elementary students. In addition, the Linden High School ALL RISE Scholarship was established in 2020, awarded to one student each year who exemplifies leadership and citizenship and who will be attending college or trade school. Within the past few years, the foundation also launched a Leadership Webinar series and the Team Report, a quarterly newsletter to keep the ALL-RISE community informed.  

Possibly the most significant outpouring of leadership development is the AJARF Mini-Grant program. Since its inception in 2020, more than $37,500 has been given to 15 organizations throughout all regions. The foundation developed the Mini-Grant program for community-based organizations, public and private agencies and faith-based organizations that focus on leadership and citizenship training that aligns with the AJARF mission. Mini-Grants are $2,500 each and are awarded three times per year. Local organizations awarded Mini-Grants are Tokay Colony 4-H Swine Unit; Boys & Girls Club, Sierra Vista Neighborhood; First Tee San Joaquin; Delta Sculling Center; Foster and Homeless Youth Services; Greater Stockton Yosemite Boy Scouts of America Council STEM NOVA program; and Giving Opportunities to Kids. As the program grew, Fresno County recipients are: Valley Children’s Healthcare; Fresno Police Chaplaincy; CASA of Fresno and Madera Counties; Valley Children’s Healthcare; Design Science Middle College High School. In Bronx County, New York, Mini-Grants recipients are: Bronx County First Tech Fund, Inc; Sheltering Arms Children and Family Services; Bronx Compass High School; Spring 36 LLC. 

During the off season, Patty and Aaron make use of Aaron’s free time, planning and hosting the annual All-Star Evening Gala. They have been held in Linden and Fresno, California, with the inaugural New York Gala scheduled for Friday, November 18, 2022. These fundraising events give Aaron the opportunity to personally share his dreams and goals for his foundation as well as raise funds to support all AJARF programs. Highly energetic, each All-Star Evening is enhanced with silent and live auctions featuring Aaron’s memorabilia as well as that of other pro athletes. From the west coast to the east coast, the support from event sponsors has been overwhelming and has helped grow the foundation exponentially.  

As the Aaron Judge ALL RISE Foundation continues to grow, so does the Judge family. Last winter, Aaron married Samantha, his high school sweetheart, at an intimate ceremony attended by close family and friends. Samantha, standing side by side with Aaron, is also involved in the work of the foundation.

By design, HERLIFE Magazine is featuring this story as we celebrate Mother’s Day. When asked to reflect on the impact his mother has had in his life, as well as the leadership she is providing the foundation, Aaron said, “I know I wouldn’t be a professional athlete without my mom. The guidance she gave me as a kid growing up, knowing the difference between right and wrong, how to treat people, how to go the extra mile and put in the extra work—all those values are the values we want to instill in the lives of each young person we work with through the ALL RISE Foundation. If we can do that, we are living our mission.”

The AJARF Comprehensive Components are used to measure decisions, programs and grant awards.  

Citizenship Development
Leadership Development
Character Development
Financial Responsibility
Reading and Literacy
Education
Health and Wellbeing
Community Involvement