JFK Award

Established by the Class of 1964, the recipient is chosen for “personal courage, love of his fellow man, the capacity to forgive, the capacity to see beauty and humor in everyday life; one who has demonstrated a strong courage of conviction, and a capacity to stand alone, if necessary, to promote a just cause.” This is the only award held secret until the DHS principal announces the winner at graduation with these words: "The John F. Kennedy Medal of Honor was initiated by the Class of 1964 and began the tradition of honoring a graduating senior who has shown outstanding performance in the area of personal behavior and responsible action. This year the student chosen to receive the John F. Kennedy Medal of honor is a respected member of the class who has demonstrated unusual courage in the pursuit of excellence."

The plaque with names of all recipients is in the front hall at DHS.

1964 Martha Jane Rudolph

1965 Timothy J. Singer

1966 Marilyn K. Schanalz

1967 Joyce I. Shike

1968 Jeffrey H. McDonald

1969 Ann M. Powell

1970 Bruce H. Fritzsche

1971 Steven M. Whiting

1972 Bruce E. Baxter

1973 Frederick T. Dale

1974 Stephen G. Parker - Listen to an interview Parker did at the 50th anniversary celebration (roughly transcribed with timings here.)

1975 Mary T. Rahmes

1976 Frank W. Wise

1977 Clare Urion

1978 David C. Blowers

1979 Stephen D. Spears

1980 Kevin McCullum

1981 Jeffrey A. Ware

1982 Jennifer A. Brandt

1983 Marileen J. Torosy

1984 Jane E. Garlock

1985 Sheila Weil

1986 Colleen M. Brantman

1987 Heather Margolis

1988 Nancy Zucker

1989 Michael Jacob Adams

1990 Caroline Lombardo

1991 Noelle LeVeaux

1992 Kathleen Saviano

1993 Nancy Kiss

1994 Ellen Fraumann

1995 Alison Vertel

1996 Regan Copeland

1997 Bryan Blatchford

1998 Edmund Kenny

1999 Richard Woolman

2000 Emily Ori

2001 Shoshana Ostrum

2002 Zach Heermann

2003 Rebecca Wylie

2004 Rebecca Reznick

2005 Sarah Mihalov

2006 Danielle Bohrer

2007 Jeremy Siegel

2008 Rachel Mosetick

2009 Ethan Barhydt

2010 Michael Skaletsky

2011 Yucheng Pan

2012 Boyi Zhang *Deerprints did a retrospective on 2012-2015 recipients.

2013 Donna Boguslavsky *Deerprints did a retrospective on 2012-2015 recipients.

2014 Joe Gerber *Deerprints did a retrospective on 2012-2015 recipients.

2015 Heath Ogawa *Deerprints did a retrospective on 2012-2015 recipients.

2016 Zaki Naqvi

2017 Sorrel Rosen

2018 Emily Zinbarg

2019 Daniel Ballenger - Daniel Ballenger won the JFK Medal or Honor for the “empathy he showed others and the smile he gave them.” See photo in this Deerfield Review article by Steve Sadin.

2020 Kyla Guru -

Principal Anderson's remarks: "A respected member of the class who enjoys singing, golf, volunteering and public speaking, to name a few. She is also on a mission to educate the world on privacy and cybersecurity, while also empowering girls to engage in the STEM fields. In fact, this year's recipient is the founder and CEO of Bits N' Bytes Cybersecurity Education that now sustains 20+ national partnerships with school districts, corporations like IBM, and educational platforms like Discovery Education, all in efforts to increase awareness and fluency in privacy and cybersecurity. She is also the cofounder and co-director of Girl Con Chicago, Chicago's premier high school tech conference that unites industry professionals and students to discuss bridging the gender gap in Tech. Arguably, though, one of her greatest accomplishments and strengths is her humble and tenacious attitude. Through these characteristics, she constantly seeks opportunities to work collaboratively with others and grow as a learner and leader, all in an effort to teach and support others."
2021 Josh Radis - Principal Anderson's remarks: "During a global pandemic we have all learned the necessity of coming together as a community to support one another during this difficult time. Josh is the type of person, global pandemic or not, who naturally seeks to build a positive, caring community and is a model to his peers and what it means and takes for perseverance. Josh exemplifies this through his personality alone. He is kind, friendly and a great listener. He is incredibly tech savvy, constantly troubleshooting tech issues with his peers and staff, which has been monumental during remote and hybrid learning. In the classroom he is a model student for both his attention to his work, his enthusiasm to engage with his peers and his teachers. His teachers describe him as organized, punctual, conscientious, determined, hard-working and a leader who even keeps his teachers in line. Outside of the classroom, Josh is a leader amongst his peers as a four-year Student Council member. He is also an outstanding athlete, participating in sled hockey and golfing year-round. Yet most importantly, in the face of challenges, whether that be academic, personal, or even significant global events like the pandemic, Josh perseveres with patience and humor. Josh is a model to all of us on how to adapt to change, meet problems head-on, and make the best of any moment. It is without any doubt that Josh will go on to do great things while motivating and supporting others around him. I hope we all can join him in this noble pursuit."
2022 Jake KamenPrincipal Anderson's remarks: "This year’s recipient exudes traits of perseverance, academic excellence and leadership. No matter the challenges he may face, our recipient continuously exhibits a positive demeanor - with a constant smile on his face he lights up the room and brightens the days of others. He is friendly, inclusive, and goes out of his way to welcome, include and befriend every student in a caring way. As a proud member and leader in the DHS Band, Jazz Band, Marching band, Choraliers, theater performances, and STUNTS - you know doubt have had the pleasure of hearing and seeing him perform over the past four years. Not only has he demonstrated these traits at DHS but also in the local community as a leader in his synagogue youth group. His teachers and counselor have expressed their admiration toward our recipient and know that he will carry these positive traits and leadership beyond DHS."
2023 Rori BownePrincipal Anderson's remarks: "This year’s recipient stands out as an individual who is funny or perhaps even better said - witty, tenacious, determined, and mature beyond her years. In the face of adversity, she stands strong and perseveres. She knows her self-worth and fights for what is right. To that end, she is an upstander who isn’t afraid to speak up when something isn’t right, especially to help and protect others. Her peers listen to her as a voice of reason. A peer shared, 'I admire her stability and confidence in herself, as well as her determination to achieve her dreams.' While at Deerfield High School, our JFK recipient was a member of the human rights club, yearbook editor and a fierce competitor on the softball field. She will be attending Western Illinois University next year with a full-ride scholarship through the ROTC to study criminal justice and work towards her dream of entering law enforcement. In today’s climate, I am proud to say I know our JFK recipient, who will do everything in her power to protect and serve our youth and those throughout our entire community."
2024 Taisiia “Taya” Andreiv and Stanislav “Stas” BronevskiyPrincipal Anderson's remarks: "After 60 years, we honor TWO very deserving students who have displayed the essence of this award. Both of this year’s recipients came to us just two years ago as they fled their homes in Ukraine. Our first recipient was forced to leave behind her beloved grandfather, father, and brother - literally having to flee with her mother to family members here in the United States. And even though her luggage was lost, she soon entered Deerfield High School to take a language proficiency test with a huge smile on her face - ready to take on anything that came her way. It was obvious from the get-go that she was someone who is always able to see beauty and humor, even in the most difficult of circumstances. Our second JFK Award recipient also had to flee to relatives here in Deerfield and navigate the challenges that come with attending a totally new high school without his parents, who were forced to stay behind. Despite the most challenging of situations, he entered DHS with a great deal of excitement and optimism. Both of these students were determined to make the most of every minute of the two school years that they would be with us at DHS. They were going to soak up as much of high school life as possible and enroll in as many Honors and Advanced Placement classes as they could--earning excellent grades–all in courses taught entirely in English. They have also been involved in an abundance of extracurricular activities such as Robotics, Model United Nations, Peer Helpers, Junior and Senior Executive Board of Student Council, DECA, and arts and athletics including dance company, tennis and track and field. They have each earned multiple Seals of Biliteracy as well. One of our teachers shared that the first recipient receiving this award 'is extremely bright and ridiculously hard-working. She never backs down when facing a challenge and is mature, well-spoken, and kind-hearted.' About the next recipient, a teacher wrote, 'In addition to his high-quality work, thoughtful questions, and willingness to help his classmates however he can, he is also a patient and supportive leader who never makes anyone feel intimidated or ashamed.' When asked if she had any advice for those who work with immigrant and refugee students, our recipient’s answer was profound and heartfelt: 'Treat people NOT as outsiders. Take them into your community. Ask what they need.' Since both of these students live this philosophy on a daily basis, often do much more than what is required, and consistently step up to help their classmates, it gives us great pleasure to present the JFK Award to Taisiia 'Taya' Andreiv and Stanislav 'Stas' Bronevskiy."
2025 Mikey EvartsListen to Dr. Anderson announce this award at her last graduation as DHS Principal.

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