On February 11, 2020, the National Honor Society inducted 80+ new members. This is an event
to commemorate the hard work students have done in order to be a part of the National Honor
Society. Before explaining the event itself, I can explain what exactly the Society is about, how
to be a part of it, and what makes it so prestigious.

What is the National Honor Society? It is a group of students that have shown academic,
extracurricular, and service-based excellence. In order to be inducted into this group, one has to have maintained a grade point average of 4.2, which is not such an easy task for a busy high
school student at Seton Hall Prep. The school does not have an easy curriculum by any means
and on top of that, has very challenging teachers. To achieve and maintain such a high GPA
requires countless hours studying during sleepless nights, free periods, and weekends, all full of
hard work. On top of achieving such academic prestige, most NHS students also partake in
extracurricular activities that fill up their agenda even more. Varsity athletes, club leaders, and
even peer leaders are NHS members. They somehow find time to study despite their busy and
stressful schedule.

Not only do students take part in extracurricular activities, but they volunteer and give their time to their community to do service. This service can be for a parish, the school itself, or for some other outlet. Some members have helped build homes for homeless people and raised money for local charities. I personally get most of my service hours completed with the school’s
program for elementary school tutoring. Every Wednesday, student tutors walk over to Hazel
Ave or Gregory Ave Elementary School and go and tutor young students who really need the
help. Other outlets for service are helping out student boy scouts with Eagle Scout projects or
just helping clean up wires with a science teacher. At the end of the day, these National Honor
Society members find a way to do their service and truly help out their community.

If a student achieves both academic excellence and impactful work on their community, they are then eligible to join the National Honor Society. During the induction ceremony, students came into the auditorium, eager to officially join and be recognized for their achievements. The
ceremony started off with opening words from the society’s moderator, John Henrikson, who
also teaches AP Environmental Science and AP Biology. Then we had a blessing from
Monsignor Michael Kelly  ’57, the president of our school.

This was followed by the student officers talking about what embodies the true example of what
a National Honor Society student is. They talked about how each member is a true leader in
their lives. The athletes are captains of their teams and most of the students who participate in
activities, are lead roles in them or have executive power in their clubs. The officers went on
about how the National Honor Society is truly the example of a well rounded Seton Hall Prep
student. They are faithful to their work, serve others, and also lead others.

The NHS officers then preceded to read out the name of every new inductee. The new
candidates would take a certificate of their achievement and a pin to proudly wear on their
blazer lapel. As they do this, parents and family would proudly watch upon as their sons get
recognized for all of the hours of work they have put into school, service, and activities. Only
very dedicated and hardworking students are inducted into the National Honor Society, making
it one of the most prestigious groups to be associated with. Not to mention, being a part of the
National Honor Society looks good on a student’s high school resume.