Sora Gordon

Sora Gordon, BSN, RN, PMH-BC, is honored to be the 2025–2026 and first recipient of the Francine Bono-Neri Scholarship. She has worked in the field of mental health for the majority of her career, and spent the last five years specializing in pediatric behavioral health. She is currently pursuing her MSN at Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, where she is working toward becoming a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).

Sora earned a BA from Yeshiva University and a BSN from NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She is ANCC board-certified in psychiatric-mental health nursing and committed to clinical excellence and lifelong learning. Alongside her graduate studies, she works full-time as a pediatric behavioral health nurse at her community hospital in Brooklyn, New York. In this role, she provides trauma-informed care to some of the city’s most vulnerable children—many affected by abuse, neglect, systemic inequities, and generational trauma. She is also a New York State Office of Mental Health-certified TRUST (Therapeutic Relationships and Universal Safety Training) instructor, training staff at her facility in therapeutic alliance-building and crisis de-escalation techniques to reduce restraint use and enhance safety for patients and providers alike.

Sora’s passion for nursing began in childhood, shaped by personal experience. Growing up in a Hasidic Jewish community where mental health was often stigmatized, she was profoundly influenced by the nurses who cared for her father during a critical illness. Their calm presence and clear communication brought comfort during a time of uncertainty and sparked her commitment to trauma-informed, patient-centered care. Today, Sora is dedicated to paying forward that impact by working with children who carry the often-invisible wounds of trauma.

Sora chose Hunter College for its strong reputation in preparing mental health professionals who are equipped to meet the needs of diverse, urban populations. Its emphasis on accessibility, cultural competence, and community-based mental health aligns closely with Sora’s vision for her future practice. This past year, she was selected to participate in the 2024–2025 cohort of the Cabrini-Hunter, a leadership development program that fosters interprofessional collaboration among nurse practitioners and social workers. Through her advanced training, Sora hopes to address longstanding gaps in mental health care by expanding access to services that are trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and rooted in equity.

Sora sees her future as a psychiatric nurse practitioner not only as a personal goal but also as a responsibility—to advocate for children and families navigating complex mental health needs and to contribute to long-overdue systemic change in healthcare delivery.

Receiving the Francine Bono-Neri Scholarship is especially meaningful to Sora, as it represents the powerful ripple effect that one nurse’s generosity can have on others. She is deeply grateful to Dr. Bono-Neri and NEF for investing in her journey and easing the financial burden of graduate education. Inspired by this support, Sora is committed to carrying that legacy forward — not only through her clinical work with the pediatric population in underserved communities, but also by mentoring the next generation of nurses dedicated to advancing equity, compassion, and access in mental health care