SSCS juniors and Top 5ive Changemaker Award winners Yasmin Issa, left, and Ava Jump
Two SSCS juniors have been recognized as 2025 Top 5ive Changemakers in the Schoharie County region for their unmatched commitment and leadership in the Youth category. Honored by the Times Journal newspaper along with other area “changemakers” were Ava Jump and Yasmin Issa.
Judges from the company’s North Division chose the winners in five categories: Youth, Women, Men, BIPOC, and Business/Non-Profit categories. The Top 5ive winners were honored at a dinner in Cobleskill.
Ava Jump
Ava has been making an impact on and off the field since the 8th grade. She is a varsity athlete in three sports — soccer, basketball, and softball — and has served as varsity soccer captain since 2023, excelling as the team’s standout goalie. Her leadership extends beyond athletics, where she brings the same intensity and drive to her academic and civic responsibilities.
Academically, Ava is a 4.0 student — a clear testament to her discipline and determination. She is a vocal leader in every space she enters, holding multiple high-level leadership roles, including:
- NYS FBLA State Officer for 2024–2025
- District 4 FBLA Vice President
- FBLA Chapter President
- Class President since 2021
- Varsity Club President
- Student representative on the Section 4 Student Athlete Advisory Committee
She’s also been an active member of Student Council since 7th grade, proving her long-standing dedication to student voice and school spirit.
Ava’s resume of service is just as impressive. She has given her time to a wide range of causes — from coaching AYSO soccer, organizing and staffing multiple community blood drives, participating in the Crop Walk, to volunteering at ALS dinners year after year.
In every facet of her young life — whether it’s in the classroom, on the athletic field, leading statewide initiatives, or giving back to her community — Ava embodies what it means to be a servant leader.
Yasmin Issa
Yasmin Issa is not only a 4.0 student, but a true force for change at SSCS and in the Sharon Springs broader community.
Since 9th grade, Yasmin has distinguished herself through academic achievement, earning the President’s Award each year and taking top honors in essay competitions like the George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest — where she’s been a first place winner three years in a row. But what makes Yasmin remarkable isn’t just her awards — it’s how she uses her gifts.
She is the current New York State Secretary for FBLA, where she also serves as Vice President of her local chapter. She’s competed nationally in business and public speaking events, and has earned podium finishes at state conferences year after year. Yasmin has also represented her peers as Student Council Secretary, SADD President, Spanish Club Vice President, Varsity Club Treasurer, and as the student representative on her school’s Board of Education.
She’s a “changemaker” in the truest sense — from launching a reading initiative to teach elementary students about kindness and inclusion, to facilitating regional panels in the capital district through the Elevating Student Voices program. Yasmin doesn’t just attend conferences — she leads them, moderates youth summits, and travels to Albany for Youth Legislation Day to make student perspectives heard in the halls of power.
A varsity athlete, a member of the National Honor Society, and a regular volunteer at events like alumni dinners, clothing drives, and futsal tournaments – Yasmin somehow does it all with grace, humility, and the steady belief that diverse voices matter.
In a small school and a rural setting, Yasmin has created big waves — building bridges, breaking barriers, and lifting others with her.
