Watkins Mill High School’s National Honor Society chapter hosted its annual induction ceremony in the auditorium on Thursday, October 26, welcoming 39 members. The ceremony was open to friends and family.
Nurse practitioner Sophia Wilmot opened up the ceremony by singing the National Anthem. She informed students that they are on the road to success. Next up was principal Vilma Najera, who said, “Just know we’re proud and we see your efforts.”
NHS is a nationwide student organization that recognizes juniors and seniors who demonstrate scholarship, leadership, character, and service. The WMHS chapter requires a minimum of 3.5 unweighted GPA and 75 completed Student Service Learning hours upon application submission. According to NHS sponsor Maria Duran, WMHS’s NHS members comprise about the top 3- 5% of the school. “Being in NHS means something, and I’d like to find out more about what it means [to me],” junior Merlin Burgess Leary said.
“My vision for NHS was always to be more inclusive,” Duran said. Aiming to become more multicultural, NHS welcomes a variety of students. This year’s inductees have over 7000 SSL hours combined.
“I know two [students] that were inducted today [who] work really hard and in their own language; they are at the top of their class and if they were in their country, they would be in honors. But here [it is] totally different because of the language barrier and that’s what I want to fight against,” Duran said.
Junior Niharika Wadehera said, “NHS plays a big part in making the school more inclusive for all people regardless of race, gender, sexuality, etc. I wanted to be a part of the contribution, making sure that all people feel included, [especially] coming from a background such as where I often find myself left out.”
NHS held its first meeting on November 2 to discuss its annual community project, with this year’s project goal being to establish a community garden accessible to families to expand access to non-perishable goods.
The ceremony ended with the NHS officers guiding inductees to recite the NHS pledge, concluding the night with refreshments, snacks, and pictures.
