Thirty Middle School students were inducted into St. Johns' chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) this morning in a ceremony conducted in the Performing Arts Center.
Welcoming the livestream audience, Head of School Valorie Baker commented that the NJHS induction ceremony is always one of her favorite events of the year.
"The reason I like National Honor [Junior] Honor Society is because it focuses on more than just your academics," Baker said. "It really encompasses what we are trying to do here at our school, and that is grow students [who] not only look at being scholars but are developing strong character, and [who] are leaders in our school and our community, and you folks today are being recognized for doing just that."
"The National Junior Honor Society is sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals," said NJHS Sponsor Thea Burke. "Its purposes are to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to render service to school and community, to promote leadership, and to develop character in the students of the nation's middle and upper schools."
Membership in the St. Johns Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society has been earned by the effective demonstration of the four qualities held in high esteem by the Society. These are scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Each of the students inducted this morning have demonstrated these qualities, and St. Johns applauds them for their accomplishments and looks to them and to their leadership as they move forward through Middle School and into their high school years.
In order to be considered for membership, a student must be a Grade 7 or Grade 8 St. Johns student who has been at St. Johns for at least one semester and has a GPA of 3.6 or higher. Based on these criteria, the following students were inducted this morning:
| Grade 7 | Grade 8 |
| Bodie Brafford | Fritz Arendt |
| Sander Crumpton | Ainsley Costarakis |
| Griffin Dubnansky | Grayson Moody |
| Drake Dubois | Isabel Nix |
| Reagan Hauber | Haley Pierce |
| Adrian Heinrichs | Jay Sahni |
| Pamela Hernon | Grace Wonpat |
| Wyatt Hollingsworth | |
| Keaton Keiter | |
| Sergio Lopez-Diaz | |
| Ilias Mamea | |
| Brice McClellan | |
| Sarah Mejias | |
| Sophia Mejias | |
| Katelyn Moore | |
| Grace Owens | |
| Brooke Pickett | |
| William Pounds | |
| Sydney Schmidt | |
| Emily Steckler | |
| Nola Tingle | |
| Alyssa Walker | |
| Addison Wagstaff |
"Success is not merely the product of one's strong intellectual capacity. Hard work, perseverance, and your character are equally important," said Head of Middle School Jackie Lentini. "Keep that growth mindset and willingness to seize new opportunities in sight. And remember, don't be afraid of failure. Harness the great gifts that you have and use your incredible talents to pursue your dreams."
Congratulations to the 2021 inductees of the National Junior Honor Society!
- academics