53 Students Celebrate Induction into National Honor Society

53 sophomore and junior students were honored May 3 as they were inducted into the Greendale High School chapter of National Honor Society.

The National Honor Society was established over 90 years ago and its members are held to a high standard in the area of each of the organization’s four pillars: Leadership, Scholarship, Character, and Service.  Students are invited to join during their sophomore or junior year if they have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above. To apply, students must then submit an online application detailing why they want to be a part of the group and previous service experience.  In addition, they must also collect signatures as proof that they have completed past service activities and are involved in other clubs or sports.

NHS advisers Amanda Hauser and Michelle Brody are both very excited to welcome the newest members to the esteemed organization.

“We actually have more new inductees this year than we have in the previous few years which is great! I think this speaks to the talented, hardworking, and giving students we have the privilege to work with here at GHS,” Hauser said.  “I think Ms. Brody and I are incredibly lucky to work with these students and I know I personally look forward to seeing all that they do to make our school and community a better place!”

Students apply for NHS for a variety of reasons.

“I applied for NHS because I like what it stands for – service, scholarship, character, and leadership – and I wanted to become part of a group of others my age who also see these things as important,” sophomore inductee Danielle Wegner said.

The ceremony took place in the GHS IMC.  It began with a welcome from senior NHS Officer Andrew Crapitto and an address from fellow senior officer Cecilia Brozynski. Following the introductory speeches, the three junior officers, Rachel Young, Elly Hottinger, and Annie Terry, and Crapitto spoke about the four pillars of the organization.

For sophomore inductee Alyssa Tomczak, this was the most meaningful part of the ceremony.

“My favorite part of the ceremony was the candle lighting because it provided a clear explanation of why we were chosen and the aspects that NHS looks for in its inductees,” she said.

Wegner feels the same way.

“I liked hearing the speeches from the current NHS officers emphasizing both the honor and the responsibility of being a part of NHS,” she said.

Terry, Hottinger, and Young then introduced the new inductees, who walked around the library and signed their name in the NHS Book, which has the signatures of everyone who has ever been a member of Greendale’s chapter of NHS, dating back to 1959.  

Wegner also found this portion of the ceremony meaningful.

“Signing the book with all the names of Greendale NHS members was very special,” she said.

After their introduction, the new inductees recited the NHS pledge as a group.  Finally, students and their families were invited to enjoy cake to celebrate their big accomplishment.

All the new members are very excited to begin their NHS journey and hope to accomplish many things.

“I hope to gain more experience volunteering because that is something I really enjoy and value,” Wegner said.

Tomczak agrees and believes that her NHS experience will benefit her future.

“Being inducted means so much to me! Not only do I get recognition for my academic achievements and work I do outside of school, but I also get to have new opportunities to help others in the community. I hope to gain leadership and communication experiences through the volunteering we do through NHS,” Tomczak said.  “By going to many different places for volunteering it can help expand my knowledge of others and different jobs. These experiences can also help me narrow down what career path I want to take.”

Service is the pillar that is most emphasized within National Honor Society, and Hauser wants students to remember that.

“For me, I think the most important thing for NHS members to remember is that they are in this club to complete service – to give of their time and talents so that in some way, they can positively contribute to the lives of others,” she said. “I think students sometimes get stuck in the mindset of thinking too much about their GPAs and not enough about why the club was founded in the first place – to be positive leaders in the community and give back through service.”