Hello friends and family,

It’s that time again, remembering Debbie through your donation to the JVS Debra J. Roth Family and Friends Tribute Scholarship for students pursuing degrees in higher education. Last year’s fundraising was so successful, thanks to you, that we were able to raise over $27,000 to provide scholarships to eight young women. These women are undergraduate students, some in medical school, in Ph.D, programs as well as graduate programs in speech therapy and education. Debbie would be very gratified and proud, being that she was a smart and gifted student, as are her daughters.

Barb remembers:

I was the teacher and Debbie was the student. I was 6 or 7 years old and Deb was 3 or 4 years old. That was the start of Debbie’s commitment to education. It was in the basement of our home in Cleveland and I was the teacher at the blackboard. Debbie was the student sitting at her desk. She honestly did everything that I asked of her and was reading on her own after several of our sessions in the basement. As her big sister, I believe that this “training, learning to read and write at a very young age, provided the basic foundation for her future education. I was and am always in awe of her achievements professionally and personally.

Ellen remembers:

I very vividly recall the summer of 1977, when Deb was studying for the LSAT before her last year at the University of Florida.  The dining room table was covered with books, notebooks, papers – all the accouterments of a scholar.  As a fifteen-year-old, I couldn’t imagine having the focus and discipline she applied to her task.  It all seemed so boring to me, but Deb had a goal in her sight, and worked tirelessly to achieve it. And achieve it she did, enrolling at Stanford University Law School a year later.

I was always so proud of her successes: sports and student government in high school, an undergraduate degree in three years, and a fruitful law career. Her success extended to the friendships she maintained, and the family she loved.  She is forever my brilliant big sister.

On behalf of Debbie’s family and of all of the recipients, we want to thank you again for your ongoing support of the JVS Scholarship Program. By supporting the Debra J. Roth Family and Friends Tribute Scholarship, you are making a significant and meaningful difference in their lives.

Thank you, as always, for your consideration and support,

Barbara and Ron Lang
Ellen and Mike Agronin