Washburn District High School held their annual National Honor Society Induction Ceremony on Thursday, November 7, 2024. This event recognized the exceptional achievements of young scholars who embody the four pillars of NHS: Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Character.
Mrs. Hemphill, the NHS advisor began the evening by welcoming those in attendance. She gave a brief history of the NHS and the selection process of each inducted member. Mrs. Hemphill then turned it over to the current members who spoke on the four pillars of the National Honor Society.
Chapter President, Damien DuMont spoke on the Character Pillar. "Character is a set of qualities, or values, that shape our thoughts, actions, reactions, and feelings". He spoke about the attributes a person of strong character demonstrates and concluded by saying "It is doing the right thing even when nobody is watching."
Next, Vice President, Madelyn Johnston defined the Pillar of Scholarship as "academic achievement and learning at the highest level." She spoke on how scholarship is more than the grades you earn, it is a life-long commitment to learning and recognizing the learning opportunities presented to you in life. To quote B.B. King, Madelyn said, "The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you."
The third pillar presented was the Pillar of Leadership by the Chapter's secretary, Isabelle Allen. She spoke about leadership being the art of influencing others towards a common goal and moving forward when others hesitate. "Leadership", Isabelle said "is the willingness to yield one's personal interests for the interests of others."
The final officer to speak was treasurer Isaac Sines, his Pillar was Service. He described service as "actions which are done with or on the behalf of others without any direct financial or material compensation to the individual performing the service." He goes on to say that service is an attitude and the most unselfish action one can engage in. Isaac states that it is not the satisfaction you might gain from an act of service, but rather the character it builds and the opportunity to learn that make the world a better place.
The ceremony concluded with each new member receiving their official card and National Honor Society Pin and reciting the Society Oath. This year, our school was honored to induct four new members, each representing the pinnacle of academic achievement and community service. The new members of Washburn District High School's National Honor Society are as follows: Jacob Doak, son of Michael and Samantha Doak, Landon Markie, son of Bryant and Holly Markie, Cadie Mendoza, daughter of Adam and Joan Mendoza and Sean Silver, son of Stephanie and Kim Silver
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Newly inducted members L-R: Cadie Mendoza, Sean Silver, (Mrs. Hemphill), Landon Markie, Jacob Doak
Members of Washburn District High School National Honor Society
Front Row L-R: Cadie Mendoza, Madelyn Johnston, (Mrs. Hemphill), Damien DuMont, Isabelle Allen
Back Row L-R: Mitchell Hewitt, Isaac Sines, Sean Silver, Landon Markie, Jacob Doak, Logan Curtis