Each year in early September, Mrs. Foley and the board of the National Honor Society (NHS) invite eligible juniors and seniors to apply for membership to Montrose’s Detore Chapter of the NHS. Montrosians receive this invitation based on a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or above, but their acceptance into the program rests on the applicant’s dedication to scholarship, leadership, service, and character. On Wednesday evening, December 16th, the current leaders of NHS welcomed the two seniors and fourteen juniors who met these criteria to the Detore Chapter in a Zoom ceremony. 

The inductees gathered for a short meeting on Tuesday to receive their pins and sign the NHS book before the official ceremony on Wednesday. “The senior members were all there, and they were so excited to welcome the new members,” remarked NHS advisor Mrs. Foley. During the Zoom ceremony, inductees presented their pins as their names were called, and heard remarks from Academic Dean Ms White, Mrs. Foley, and the two NHS student officers, Ciara Scamby ’21 and Maevis Fahey ‘21. 

Two members are elected each year to focus their speeches on two of the four pillars of NHS: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Maevis, Character and Service Officer, urged the 2020 inductees to make Montrose students feel heard and to provide opportunities for service. “Fill your planners not only with due dates, and page numbers, and meeting times, but with the birthdays of your classmates and family, or ideas to do some act of kindness each day,” she said. “You can choose to practice character and service, most especially in the smallest instances of your daily interactions, thus truly fulfilling these pillars of the National Honor Society.” Read Maevis’s speech about character and service and Ciara (Scholarship and Leadership Officer)’s speech about leadership and scholarship.

Members of the National Honor Society are expected to participate in the chapter’s tutoring program, which helps younger Montrosians with homework or class material. They also pursue independent service initiatives and help generate service activities for Montrose. “Montrose has always given me so many opportunities to enrich myself outside of standard classes. With COVID making it harder to find volunteer opportunities, I am extremely grateful and honored to be a part of NHS,” said new NHS member Spandana Vagwala ‘22. 

On behalf of the 2020 NHS inductees, we are so grateful for Mrs. Foley, Ms White, Maevis, Ciara, and all our teachers who have helped us achieve membership to NHS; and we can’t wait to help induct new members next year.

Kasey Corra, Co-Assistant Editor in Chief 

22kcorra@montroseschool.org