JOHN HARDWICK

BBYO
Lifer

Super mentor leads by example.

VIVIAN HENOCH SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

A

proud member of Shira BBG
#580 in her high school years,
Rachel Grey Ellis, senior
regional director at BBYO, will gladly
affirm that she’s a BBYO lifer.
“This is my dream job,” she says.
“BBYO was a big influence on my life
as a teen, shaping my work and rela-
tionships thereafter. I am honored to
be in this position giving back to an
organization that meant so much to
me.”
Ellis, who looks younger than she
is, uses her natural charisma on
the job to connect with teens much
more easily.
“The teens don’t see me as a mom
even though I am one, but they do
see me as an adult that supports
them and connects with them dif-
ferently than their own parents,” she
says. “It’s important for all teens to
have a few adult figures in their lives,
outside of their home, in a place
where they feel supported. BBYO
offers that opportunity with our
advisers and staff.”
Ellis earned her bachelor’s degree
in interpersonal and organizational
communication at Michigan State
University and went on to earn her
master’s in business administration
from Wayne State University. She’s
the founder and president of First
Position Inc., an internet marketing
company, which is currently inac-
tive while she is enjoying working
for BBYO. Ellis was president of her
chapter during her sophomore year
of high school and went on to serve
in other roles in the region.
Additionally, Ellis has been an

active volunteer in the Jewish
community, serving on the
Tamarack Camps’ Board for eight
years, Federation’s Young Adult
Committees and in various roles at
Congregation Beth Shalom. She is
a member of Temple Israel and has
been active at Aish Detroit as well.
She has three children, Shira, 13,
Ari, 9, and Noam, 7 — all looking for-
ward to joining BBYO one day.

Q& A With Ellis

Q: How does BBYO inspire or foster
leadership?
“Our goal is to give teens the tools
and practice they need to succeed:
to share their voices and to speak
in public, to gain confidence in an
interview, to get up and run a meet-
ing, to network and plan activities.
“They learn to work with other
teens, businesses and community
members as they plan and run their
own programs. Learning group
dynamics, motivating members,
collaborating with other chapters,
reporting to staff, sharing infor-
mation with parents — these are
all invaluable skills they will take
with them to college and into their
careers one day.
“We’re a space where teens explore
and try things they wouldn’t be able
to try later in their work. Here, if they
fail — it’s OK — they do not get fired
from BBYO for making a mistake. We
might even see that they’re planning a
program that won’t do well; we might
suggest other options, but our job is
to guide decisions, not make them.
Because we know, whether our kids

Rachel Grey Ellis

succeed or not, they will learn the
most by making their own decisions,
learning from successes and owning
their mistakes. Our advisers are there
behind the scenes guiding the teens.
“Every chapter has a volunteer
adviser. We rely heavily on our advis-
ers because they are the glue that
holds the chapter together and the
key to each chapter’s success. Every
teen program needs an adult adviser
or parent. They really get to know
our teens well enough to serve as
effective mentors to them.”
Q: What’s new/next for BBYO?
“My hope is to expand our reach.
We’re looking at opportunities
throughout Michigan to connect
woth more Jewish teens and give
them meaningful BBYO experiences.
“Additionally, we are interested in
partnering with more agencies in
our community on ways we can uti-
lize the programs that already exist,
working together to connect our
teens, synagogues and temples. And
creating new programming that con-
tinues to connect with today’s teens.
“We are always working to
strengthen our current region by
improving programming, creating
more leadership opportunities and
training, all within a safe environment
that remains a lot of fun.
“BBYO is an important organiza-
tion in our community and will
continue to grow today’s teens into
tomorrow’s leaders.” •

Vivian Henoch is editor of myjewishdetroit.
org, where a longer version of this story first
appeared.

BBYO BASICS

BBYO is a teen-led international organization,
which teaches leadership and life skills through
the opportunities that lead to personal growth, both
Jewishly and in life.
In the U.S., BBYO is organized by regions.
Michigan Region represents about 2,200 teens
now connected to 15 chapters, a middle school
“Connect” program and engagement programs
that include non-members such as Building
Entrepreneurship for Girls.
With a reach to 4,400 Jewish teens in Metro
Detroit, it is connected to half the Jewish teens in
the area, the highest percentage in the U.S.
“We hope to continue to grow and connect with
as many teens as possible in meaningful ways,”
says Rachel Ellis, senior regional director at BBYO.
New chapters continue to form for a variety of
reasons, such as a group of friends not finding a
chapter they like; a large group wanting to stick
together; a few friends deciding they want to leave
their current chapter and start their own; or a
member motivated by the idea of starting some-
thing brand new.
When new chapters start, the teens choose
their own chapter name, either a Hebrew word or
a name honoring the memory of someone who
passed away.
“This year we have a new boys’ chapter that’s
grown at the initiative of a group of friends who
decided to break from a larger chapter,” Ellis says.
“It’s exciting to see their progress — they’re mostly
freshmen and sophomores, so they’re young, moti-
vated and doing really well.”
BBYO is also expanding from Metro Detroit.
It started a new co-ed chapter in Ann Arbor and
has potential plans to expand to East Lansing and
Windsor. •

jn

January 18 • 2018

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