Twenty-two members of the BC Class of 2017 were honored at the Wisconsin Leaders of Tomorrow Elmbrook Chapter Awards Program on Sept. 11. This awards ceremony was a culmination of almost a year’s worth of work that included an essay and resume submission, an interview, and participation in a leadership workshop. The members of this program were all nominated by teachers or other leaders in the community, having to pass through a series of steps to become an official part of the organization. This year, each student had to write an essay about a social challenge that they believe faces the Class of 2017. The honor of top essay in the entire Elmbrook chapter was awarded to Olga Boukhvalova (‘17), who said “I didn’t come hoping to get an award or anything, but I am still honored. I’m proud of all of the leaders from BC for getting into the program and hope we all came away with something.”

Students also submitted a resume that highlighted their leadership skills, and both the essay and resume were evaluated by community leaders. Another step in the process of becoming a Leader of Tomorrow was the interview; students met with a leader of the community to discuss their current leadership roles and how they plan to lead in the future. On the day of the awards ceremony, the students participated in a leadership workshop where they were asked to share their views on important political and social topics and consider their responsibilities as leaders. Those accepted into the program were also given the opportunity to be photographed by Mortensen Photography for the creation of a special leadership board that highlights their achievements. 2016 honorees from BC include: Olga Boukhvalova, Catie Conlon, Rae Davel, Michael Elwing, Maria Farrokhnia, Cassie Fosdick, Hema Gharia, Claire Haynes, Steph Jarecki, Emily Johnson, Eugene Kim, Taylor Latona, Drew Miner, Megan Moretti, Molly Nemcek, Ananya Rajaraman, Mandy Rian, Kiley Smith, Shreyans Udani, Vivian Walbrun, Becca Yi, and Alice Zheng. Be sure to look out for their leadership boards throughout the community, and congratulations to the 2016 Wisconsin Leaders of Tomorrow!