Last Thursday, North Allegheny’s National Honor Society welcomed its next group of student leaders. 196 NASH juniors were inducted into the team, one of the highest numbers of inductees seen by Mr. Tengowski and Mrs. Oliver, the teacher sponsors for the NHS. Both teachers have been the co-advisors since 2016.
According to Mrs. Oliver, the elaborate ceremony and celebration requires much preparation and “there are both big and little things that go into the ceremony – communicating with inductees, collecting name pronunciations, ordering cookies, script writing, slide building, printing and signing certificates, and more. Mr. Tozier and his stage crew help us pull it all together. They go above and beyond to make sure the night is perfect.”
The preparation brought the ceremony smoothly together. The inductees experienced a night of celebration and acknowledgement, listening to six separate speeches, which all focused on the importance of student leadership, scholarship, character, and service.
Mr. Neff, the NASH AP Physics teacher and head track and cross country coach, was elected by the rising seniors to present a speech. He spoke on the importance and value of a committed leader. Mr. Neff made jokes and told stories, which showed clearly why the juniors elected him.
“He did a great job of speaking to his audience and relating it to a sport,” junior Jack Paclawski said.
Being accepted and inducted into NHS made me feel like my hard work in school has paid off.
— Anna Bridges, NASH junior
Furthermore, the ceremony celebrated the often hidden hard work done by North Allegheny’s students. Each student was individually recognized for their success, their diligence in school, their commitment to service, and their character.
NASH junior and NHS inductee Anna Bridges said, “Being accepted and inducted into NHS made me feel like my hard work in school has paid off.”
Another NASH junior and recent inductee, Sabrina Balent, said she “felt proud and accomplished to be a part of something that not everyone was able to be a part of.”
Even the 23-24 National Honor Society members saw the ceremony as more than just a formal event.
“As a senior member of the NHS, it’s exciting to see my friends who are juniors step up into the NHS roles,” NHS Treasurer Calder Quirke said. “But it’s also surreal and makes the end of high school seem that much closer.”
After preparing endlessly and making sure the night was memorable for the inductees and their families, Oliver and Tengowski said that, ultimately, it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to the seniors and welcome the juniors.
“We hope to see all NHS members continue to be role models in the community with their character, scholarship, leadership, and service,” Oliver said.
