Thirteen S.S. Seward Institute students are now members of the school’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) following a recent induction ceremony.
Many of this year’s inductees were sophomores and they have impressed NHS adviser John King with their dedication to various charitable endeavors and compassion.
“You see all the things they’re doing outside of school and you realize how amazing these kids are,” King said. “This is a very strong group of kids that we have.”
King noted that NHS is a very much a student run organization where they take initiative. When an event is organized, it is the students calling the appropriate donors and vendors, writing blurbs to promote them online and meeting with District Superintendent Dr. Lisamarie Spindler and Principal Michael Maesano to iron out the details. Through these experiences, students develop public speaking skills and King has seen students become confident leaders.
“The kids get a lot of leadership experience by doing these things,” King said. “NHS is an awesome group to be involved with, you get them involved in a lot of practical experiences.”
Sophomore Olivia Perez is proud to be inducted into NHS and initially joined because she wanted to continue helping her community through various ways such as volunteering at local food pantries and shelters and donating clothes and toys for children in need.
“I like to participate in school events and go to different communities to volunteer,” Perez said. “I thought it was a good opportunity to expand what I know.”
Students in NHS work on individual service projects and while Perez is thinking about what she wants to focus on, she does have advice for students interested in joining NHS.
“Always work your hardest and most of all, be a good person,” Perez said.
Georgia Maesano, a sophomore, considers it an honor to be inducted and appreciates the recognition she and her classmates’ efforts have received. She volunteers at local food pantries and teaches younger children in her church about being good stewards.
“It makes me feel really proud of myself and my peers,” Maesano said. “I wanted to be able to help my community more and expand my skills.”
Maesano’s words of wisdom to potential NHS members is simple, but meaningful.
“I would tell them to work hard, be a leader, not a follower and be the best at what you have to do,” she said.
The 2024 Inductees Include:
Ava Andrade
Ben Ehlers
Brooke Ehlers
Carla Zuluaga
Cynthia Nicaj
Eva Duran
Gabriella Campana
Georgia Maesano
Olivia Perez
Olivia Nicaj
Sandra Sanchez Rojas
Sierra Grove
Congratulations!