A key part of every JSA convention is the coveted Best Speaker gavel. Students who earn this most prestigious acclaim are recognized as poised, articulate, and confident speakers who communicate their points concisely and effectively to their audience. While the JSA model does not promote competition among speakers, the Best Speaker gavel is often a prize of pride for many students -- as it is awarded from their peers. Attendees vote for the Best Speaker at the end of each committee hearing at Winter Congress.
Congratulations to all our Best Speakers.
Pacific Northwest Winter Congress Best Speakers
Ethan Tuttle | Interlake High School |
David Edelman | Catlin-Gabel High School |
Arya Mavath | Issaquah High School |
Alvin Liu | Westview High School |
Hayden Miller | Skyline High School |
Allie Kelly | The Overlake School |
Julian Dukes | Southridge High School |
Anusha Dixit | Sunset High School |
Zander Gillet | The Overlake School |
Jill Lambie | Central Valley High School |
Lukas Illa | Ingraham High School |
Ethan Macey-Cushman | Ingraham High School |
Northeast Winter Congress Best Speakers
Louis Toberisky | Horace Mann |
Samuel Epstein | Amity High School |
Kenneth Duoyon | Prospect Hill Academy |
Jacob Foster | Gann Academy |
Sam Farbman | Amity High School |
Holden Higgins | Stuyvesant High School |
Ava Duskic | St. John's Villa Academy |
James Baumann | Horace Mann |
Steven Solar | New Rochelle High School |
Louis Gleason | Danvers High School |
Midwest-Southeast-OhioRiver Valley Best Speakers
Emily Hugan | Naples High School |
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Timothy Hausserman | Lake Forest High School |
Khimmoy Hudson | Miami Lakes Educational Center |
Jacob Kravitz | Worthington Kilbourne High School |
Kate Majidzadeh | Olentangy Liberty High School |
Daniel Seely | Upper Arlington High School |
Azir Nawaz | C. Leon King High School |
James Rogers | Olentangy Liberty High School |
Ashley Tamson | Barron Collier High School |
Sarah Howard | Hamilton High School |
Yolani Ponce | Dublin Coffman High School |
Ishita Gupta | District 204 |
Mark Malkin | Upper Arlington High School |
Esam Hammoudi | Hilliard Darby High School |
Jordan Hunter | The Miami Valley School |
Imani Evans | Good Hope Country Day School |
Robert Gortner | Naperville Central High School |
Chris Neumann | Indian Hill High School |
Saraina Wise | Union Local High School |
Southern California Best Speakers
Anthony Alfaro | Alliance Dr. Olga Mohan |
Erick Herrera | Alliance Dr. Olga Mohan |
Jennifer Abrego | Alliance Dr. Olga Mohan |
Jose Miranda | Alliance Dr. Olga Mohan |
Jonathan Hernandez | Alliance Smidt Tech |
Zalixa Villafan | Alliance Smidt Tech |
Samuel Silva | Alliance Tennenbaum Tech |
David Kotkin | Beckman H.S. |
Sam Wasserman | Beckman H.S. |
Justin Lieb | Camarillo H.S. |
Leslie Navarrete | Compton H.S. |
Grace Chung | Faith Baptist |
Max Sweeney | Garden Street Academy |
Maximilian Zekowski | John Burroughs H.S. |
Josh Wright | McBride H.S. |
Juan Ovalle | McBride H.S. |
Nate Bymel | Newbury Park H.S. |
Chaney Lieberman | Orange County School of the Arts |
Claire Prall | Palisades Charter |
Ani Ghazarian | Pilibos Armenian School |
Ara Yacoubian | Pilibos Armenian School |
Arek Der Sarkissian | Pilibos Armenian School |
Mischa Gureghian | Pilibos Armenian School |
Elizabeth Benke | Rio Mesa |
Mari Kubani | Santa Monica H.S. |
Isaiah Ruiz | Santa Paula H.S. |
Patrick Aimone | Servite H.S. |
Ryan Lee | Servite H.S. |
Adam Cohen | Tarbut v' Torah |
Anna Sarukian | West Ranch H.S. |
Katelin Zhou | Westlake H.S. |
Northern California Best Speakers
Nick Podell | Lick-Wilmerding H.S. |
Ravi Joshi-Wander | Tamalpais H.S. |
Tristen Laney | York School |
Andrew Fahey | Menlo Atherton |
Julian Albertson | Gateway H.S. |
Annika Schmid | Petaluma H.S. |
Lex Von Klark | Redwood H.S. |
Julia Avila | Gateway H.S. |
Lucy Barnum | Lick-Wilmerding H.S. |
Lily Conable | Encinal H.S. |
Caroline Kreutzen | Lick-Wilmerding H.S. |
Natalie Keim | Lick-Wilmerding H.S. |
Amara Ibeanusi | Crystal Springs Uplands H.S. |
Chris Story | Lick-Wilmerding H.S. |
Darren Jian | Crystal Springs Uplands H.S. |
Isabella Craddock | Lick-Wilmerding H.S. |
Henry Chu | Alameda H.S. |
Calder Hartigan | Alameda H.S. |
Jeremy Ritchey | Kirby School |
Zoe Fochs | Sutter H.S. |
Claire Fogerty | Redwood H.S. |
Mira Tellegen | Piedmont H.S. |
Isaac Ludington | Alternative Family Education |
Ronnie Coleman | Encinal H.S. |
Eva Hunter | Piedmont H.S. |
Joni Lee | Lick-Wilmerding H.S. |
Mid-Atlantic-Texas Best Speakers
Josie Howard | Biotechnology H.S. |
Nikola Skerl | Carnegie Vanguard |
Michael Meyer | Princeton |
Tyler Sapp | Biotechnology |
Griffin Laszlo | Biotechnology |
Gavin Weimer | Marlboro High School |
Erika Fuste | Saint John's |
Drew Benzaia | North Warren Regional H.S. |
Jordon Lawton | Seagoville H.S. |
Dylan Conrad | High Tech H.S. |
Jorge Vaca | Carnegie Vanguard |
Madison Richmond | Princeton H.S. |
Maya Merchant | JP Stevens H.S. |
Spencer Goldberg | Manalapan H.S. |
Sam Mueller | Biotechnology H.S. |
Madison Sims | Saint John Vianney H.S. |
Ben Kioko | Princeton H.S. |
Alexander Rombach | Shawnee H.S. |
Ian Katsnelson | Marlboro H.S. |
Sebastiao Figueria | Carnegie Vanguard H.S. |
Michael Meyer | Princeton H.S. |
Deaglan DiMurro | Bergen Catholic High School |
Jeff Stickler | Watchung Hills H.S. |
Bijan Terani | West Orange H.S. |
Brandon Brabham | Marlboro H.S. |
Henry Goldberg | Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School |
Christa Michel | Ocean City H.S. |
Mikaela Rose Tajo | Scotch Plains Fanwood |
Mark Younker | West Orange |
Taylor Ellis | John Cooper |
Winter Congress is one of JSA's most exciting conventions, simulating the U.S. legislative process with committee hearings, bill negotiations, and students serving as party leaders and whips.