Elizabeth Hemmer
Emily Renco
The Stacy Marks Nisenbaum Award recognizes teen BBYO leaders whose work to strengthen and grow BBYO is unprecedented and who are engaged in their schools and community. Elizabeth Hemmer is a sophomore at Ballard High School. She is involved in Beta Club and sings in her school choir. Active in Jay Levine BBG, she is serving her second term as chapter sh’licha (vice president of Jewish heritage, community service and social action). She recently won the Kentucky Indiana Ohio Region Sh’licha of the Year Award. Emily Renco is a sophomore at Louisville Collegiate School, where she is in the entrepreneurship, Spanish, food, transcript and Happiness clubs. She is a student ambassador and secretary of the Students Against Destructive Decisions movement. She is Jay Levine BBG’s chapter n’siah (president) and will attend two BBYO summer leadership programs this summer. She also volunteers with the Jewish Family & Career Services and Greater Louisville Internal Medicine.
Jacob Ioffe
Julia Bessen
The Stuart Pressma Student Leadership Development Award recognizes incoming and outgoing seniors for their devotion to BBYO: Jacob Ioffe is a junior at duPont Manual High School in the Math, Science, and Technology magnet program. He serves as regional mazkir and gizbor of BBYO’s Kentucky Indiana Ohio Region. Jacob is also a part of BBYO’s Global Networking Committee and leads the the Global Partnership and Development Resources Subcommittee. He traveled to Ukraine last November as a BBYO ambassador and spearheaded the establishment of KIO’s first global partnership with the city of Lviv. Recently, Jacob was named to the 33rd cohort of Bronfman Fellows – a network of 1,100-plus young Jews from Israel and North America – which begins with a five-week trip to Israel. Julia Bessen is a graduating senior at Louisville Collegiate School. She has been a member of BBYO for four years, holding leadership positions and coordinating weekend conventions. Julia was a madricha at Louisville Beit Sefer Yachad (LBSY) and a counselor at Camp J. She
Tovah Frockt
Lucy Calderon
spends most of her summer at Beber Camp, where she will be a first-time counselor this summer. Julia recently joined the International March of the Livin. She will attend Tulane University this fall, studying business and Judaic studies. Tovah Frockt is a junior at Ballard High School. A tennis player, she competed in the 2016 JCC Maccabi Games in Columbus, Ohio. Tovah has been attending Camp Livingston for eight summers and, last year, joined the camp’s Israel experience. A member of Jay Levine BBG, Tovah served as chapter mazkirah for two terms. Currently, she is the Quack and Speak Up Chair for the Kentucky Indiana Ohio Region. Lucy Calderon is a junior at duPont Manual High School. A Jay Levine BBG member, she has held multiple local and regional leadership positions. Currently, Lucy is serving as the Kentucky Indiana Ohio Region’s 64th regional sh’licha. She is a peer educator for Planned Parenthood and a lead writer and managing editor for On The Record, Louisville’s youth magazine. Lucy attends Camp Livingston and visited Israel last summer. Recently, she was named a StandWithUs intern for 2018. In that role, she will train others in Louisville and BBYO to advocate for Israel.
Bennett Schramko
Alan Ocheretner
The Tony Levitan Awards recognize remarkable senior athletes for their character and leadership. Bennett Schramko of Ballard High School has been an avid tennis player since he was 3. He played for Meyzeek Middle School and Ballard. In high school, Bennett made varsity all four years, was a team co-captain and twice attended states. Bennett has been active in Drew Corson AZA, playing basketball for the chapter in many tournaments. He helped the team win three championships titles. He will start Indiana University this fall, majoring in Sports Journalism. Alan Ocheretner of duPont Manual High School has been a competitive swimmer for 12 years, becoming a leader on his team. He is also played basketball for Drew Corson AZA and has helped the basketball team win multiple championship titles. Alan will attend the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University.
Abigail Geller
The Joseph Fink BBYO Community Service Scholarship recognizes a dedicated high school senior for commitment to community service throughout Louisville, while being deeply invested in BBYO for all four years of high school. Abigail Geller is a senior at North Oldham High School. She has been an active BBYO member for four years, holding multiple positions on Jay Levine BBG’s chapter leadership board. Abigail was chapter gizborit and n’siah for two terms. As n’siah, she received the honor of KIO N’siah of the Year, and Jay Levine BBG was named KIO Chapter of the Year and won the International Miriam Albert Chapter Excellence Award. An avid field hockey player, Abigail was North Oldham’s varsity team captain this past year. She recently joined the International March of the Living. Abigail will attend DePaul University, majoring in international studies.
Ava Schumacher
The Ellen Faye Garmon Award recognizes teens whose work in BBYO strengthens and builds the organization. Ava Schumacher is a junior at North Oldham High School. She plays field hockey, is part of the Oldham County Leadership Academy, a member of the National Honors Society and participates in the Kentucky YMCA Youth Government programs – KYA and Kuna. A Jay Levine BBG member since eighth grade, Ava has held multiple local and regional leadership positions. After completing a term as chapter n’siah, she was elected to the Kentucky Indiana Ohio BBYO regional board as regional mazkirah/gizborit. Ava hopes to travel the world and one day start her own business. Drew Goldstein is a sophomore at Ballard High School. Active in Drew Corson AZA, he is currently the chapter godol (president). Drew spends his summers at Camp Livingston, through which he will make a four-week educational trip to Israel this summer. Drew works at Noodles and Company and is involved with the Ballard Dance Maroon, the UNICEF committee
Drew Goldstein and school soccer team.