National Honor Society Welcomes New Members During Fall Ceremony

Head+of+Upper+School+Fletcher+Carr+and+Head+of+School+David+Faus+stand+on+the+stage+with+three+students+who+were+inducted+into+the+National+Honor+Society+as+well+as+Ms.+Misselhorn+who+leads+NHS+at+Benjamin.

Jeremy Ferris

Head of Upper School Fletcher Carr and Head of School David Faus stand on the stage with three students who were inducted into the National Honor Society as well as Ms. Misselhorn who leads NHS at Benjamin.

The National Honor Society (NHS) inductions took place on October 6, 2022 in Benjamin Hall. There were four people welcomed into the National Honor Society this fall, and there will be more in the spring.

Joining the School’s chapter of the national organization were seniors Avery Leonard, RJ Lichten, and Madison Sopinsky, and junior Jacqueline Pare.

In order to be inducted, one needs to have earned a minimum GPA of 3.8, though induction requires not only exceptionally strong grades, but also a model character and a commitment to serving the community.

Indeed, membership in the NHS signals one’s dedication to the organization’s four pillars of scholarship, service, character, and leadership.

Ms.Sara Misselhorn has been the advisor of the NHS at Benjamin for 8 years and once again organized the ceremony.

“It was great to be back on stage with the entire chapter. There are three opportunities for students to try to achieve NHS membership starting in the spring of your sophomore year, and then again in the spring of your junior year, and the fall of your senior year.” says Misselhorn.

The current president of the NHS at Benjamin is senior Skylar Malmberg. She has been attending the school since the sixth grade and served as the ceremony’s leader.

“Our Fall 2022 NHS Induction was very successful. Although small, only having three transfers and new inductees, it was nice to honor the members of NHS and explain to the incoming freshman and the rest of the school what NHS is all about,” shared Malmberg.

My favorite part was the recognition of all the members by reading their names and having them stand up. I also enjoyed writing and giving my speech about the pillars of NHS being able to pull in my reading of Educated by Tara Westover, which provided me a new perspective on my own education and knowledge,continued Malmberg.

The chapter’s vice president, senior Darian Salehi has attended the School since Kindergarten.

“I feel that the event went great. This was the first of two NHS inductions of the school year, and it played a key role in uniting the members of The Benjamin School’s NHS chapter and making new members of Benjamin’s NHS chapter feel welcomed into the community. I also think it’s important that the rest of the student body, particularly those in lower grade levels, witness these inductions to have other student body members look up to. This will help them learn to embody the four pillars of the NHS not just in the classroom, but in their life as a whole. The event went smoothly, and my favorite part was seeing the smiles on the faces of the new inductees and seeing how they felt accepted into Benjamin.” expressed Salehi.

Senior Avery Leonard was one of the four people welcomed into the National Honors society during the ceremony. This is her first year at Benjamin, as she just moved here from Aspen, Colorado. She had been inducted into NHS in the fall of her Junior year, so she was honored as a transfer member.

“I am excited to be in this NHS chapter because of being surrounded by like-minded peers and also because of senior signout,” says Leonard.

Indeed, members of the chapter receive a few perks for their hard work and commitment to excellence: sign-out privileges during lunch and study hall to the opportunity to wear NHS stoles during commencement in May.

A second induction will be held in the spring to welcome new sophomore and junior members into the chapter.