The Sun and News, Saturday, November 20, 2021/ Page 9TKHS National Honor Society welcomes 61 new members
Thornapple Kellogg High
School welcomed 61 new
members into the Elizabeth
Thurber Chapter of the
National Honor Society
Wednesday at a ceremony
witnessed by family and
friends.
TKHS Principal Tony
Petersen and Assistant
Superintendent Craig
McCarthy offered the new
members praise and encour-
agement. “I’m proud of all
of you and wish you all the
best,” Petersen said, noting
the exceptional quality of
the students seated on the
stage.
McCarthy called the
inductees “academic rock
stars” and encouraged them
to continue their academic
successes.
“As you continue your
education here at TK, take
advantage of the opportuni-
ties you have available.
When you take AP courses or
participate in dual enroll-
ment coursework, you are
getting a jump on earning
college credit,” he said.
He also talked about the
pillars of NHS reminding
students to continue pursuing
learning, providing service to
others and learning to be a
leader.
“Leadership is more than
just moving a group of peo-
ple to achieve a common
goal ... As a leader, I never
ask someone to do some-
thing I’m not willing to do
myself,” he said.
McCarthy said a person’s
character impacts all of the
NHS pillars by the way they
learn, serve and lead.
“Your character traits can
have a positive or negative
impact on how you study,
serve and learn ... So, aca-
demic rock stars, as you
move through high school
and prepare for college, trade
school, or the world of work,
it’s time to find your code of
conduct and define the char-
acter traits that will help you
lead a successful life. Your
possibilities are endless.”
Jacqueline Aguiar, the
chapter president, welcomed
the new members.
“As president of the
National Honor Society, I am
pleased to see these new
incredible inductees take
their spot in this society. You
all have a gift within you and
I am excited to see your
accomplishments,” she said.
Addressing the family and
friends attending, Aguiar
said, “These individuals have
excelled at what it means to
be a member of the National
Honor Society. They have
shown acts of leadership by
taking action to enforce the
means of responsibility and
honorability, by representing
our school with great vigor
and strong work ethic, and
pushing themselves to go
above and beyond in all
aspects of their life.”
New members sat on the
stage looking out at the fam-
ilies gathered to celebrate
their accomplishment. Four
NHS members talked about
the four pillars NHS is
founded on: scholarship,
leadership, service and char-
acter.
Jocelynne Moore talked
about scholarship.
“In the National Honor
Society, it is expected that
you have a passion for learn-
ing and that school is among
your higher priorities,”
Moore said. “Learning isn’t
always easy, and nor is main-
taining high grades, but your
perseverance and determina-
tion has brought you where
you are today... Keep those
test scores high, and your
heads held higher.”
Amanda Bond discussed
leadership in the school and
in the community.
“Leadership is not limited
to physically leading a group,
or being in charge of people.
Leadership can be so much
more than that. To inspire
others is leadership, to take
initiative is leadership.”
Heidi Church talked about
character and how it defines
a person.
“Character,” she said, “is
the drive we have to be better- for ourselves and our com-
munities.”
Church said the inductees
have already distinguished
themselves and their charac-
ter, in different ways –
through academic achieve-
ments, community service
and commitment.
Matthew Middleton spoke
about service. All NHS
members are required to
complete a minimum of 20
hours of community service
each year.
“Our community has
helped support our school in
many ways.... Community
service is a way we, as stu-
dents, can pay back our com-
munity for all they have done
for us.”
He said service to others is
not only required for NHS
members, but also a valuable
way to grow. “Not only can
you positively influence your
community, but your com-
munity can also have a posi-
tive impact on who you are
as a person.”Lee Repins, NHS secre-
tary, and Trinity Simon, NHS
treasurer, read the roll call of
new members as they were
each welcomed to the NHS.
This year’s inductees are:
Natalie Alden, Kaitlyn
Baldry, Sophia Beckering,
Olivia Beckering, Michael
Blair, Haden Bovee, Carsen
Burbridge, Katie Burkhead,
Austin Chivis, Tahlia
Choiniere, Carly Cook,
Jackson Curtis, Anna Davis,
Catherine Densham, MiaDickman, Jacob Fetterley,
Nicol Figuereo-Reyes, Ruby
Frei, Audrey Guikema,
Lainey Guikema, Preslee
Hall, Maggie Harmens,
Ethan Hey, Luke Hinton,
Trevor Hummer, Terrell
Jefferson, Luke Kaiser,
Samantha Kruisenga, Keely
Lambert, Dylan LeClaire,
Andy Liu, Emelia
MacDonald, Andrew
Middleton, Madison Nagel,
Connor Newland, Anna
Niemi, Amber Niemi, ElainaO’Riley, Ella Palazzolo, Rein
Pranger, Peter Repins,
Aundria Robbe, Christopher
Sharrar, Molly Shepard,
Josie Smith, Matthew Smith,
Ian Sonza, Payton Stahl,
Graysen Stahle, Parker
Stewart, Emma Thompson,
Ellie Vandefifer, Lucy
VanDemark, Hope Vander
Heide, Aislinn
VanDommelen, Lindsey
Velting, Tessa Wenger,
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Thornapple Kellogg inducted 61 new members into the Elizabeth Thurber Chapter of National Honor
Society last week. (Photo provided)Thornapple Kellogg Assistant Superintendent
Craig McCarthy offers words of advice and encour-
agement to the new inductees. (Photo provided)