35 inducted into Medina’s National Honor Society
Provided photos – Junior Greg Husung is corded by Senior Krista Nellist.
Press Release
Medina Central School
MEDINA – Medina inducted 35 students into High School’s Arista Chapter of the National Honor Society on March 26.
The students, a combination of juniors and seniors, were selected by a faculty advisory council, and were picked based upon their fulfillment of the four requirements of the National Honor Society: Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character.
In Medina, students must first meet a rigorous scholarship requirement with a cumulative high school average of 90.0 or higher. Then, they submit a 25-page Student Activity Information Form and personal statement, which helps the Faculty Council verify that students have met the requirements for service, leadership, and character.
Officer Aaron Feltz lights a candle while officers Austin Brown, Alexandra Markle and Brian Bogan look on.
The 2015 Induction Ceremony was kicked off by a slide show highlighting the current NHS members’ activities completed throughout the year, most notably the chapter’s annual Veterans’ Dinner, after which students were offered advice from the ceremony’s guest speaker, Marsha Rivers, executive director of the Orleans County United Way.
Her keynote address was titled, “Mistakes: The Compost of Character.” In the speech, which was alternatively funny and moving, she encouraged the students to see that character was the most important tenet of all, and suggested that scholarship, leadership, and service all grew naturally from one’s ability to grow as a person.
Rivers ended her remarks by saying, “You, my young friends, have grown so much already. You’ve accomplished a great deal, and we are here tonight to celebrate your achievements, as well as your potential. My best wisdom, my most sage advice to you tonight is this: Live. Do the best you can. A year ago today my friend Wayne Burlison died at the age of 36. Mr. Burlison was a music teacher at the Albion Elementary School, but he was also so many other things – including a Star Wars fan. In the band room he had a Yoda poster that said: “Do… or do not. There is no try.” So in honor and memory of my friend, I will not say, “Try your best.” I will say, “Do your best.” Or better yet: Be your best. Be and become the best possible version of yourself you can figure out how to be. And at the times when you fail to measure up to this best possible version and you will seek and find forgiveness, including from yourself.”
Newly inducted members recite the National Honor Society Pledge.
At the conclusion of Rivers’ address, Principals Mark Kruzynski and Michael Cavanagh shared excerpts from the new members’ personal statements, in which the students discussed the people who had impacted them, the characteristics that best described them, and the goals that they had for the future.
Following the introduction of new members, the 2014-15 OfficersJason Hellwig, Co-President; Regan Stacey, Co-President; Samuel Simms, Co-Vice President; Addison Zavitz, Co-Vice President; Brianna Bellan, Co-Treasurer; Aaron Feltz, Co-Treasurer; Brian Bogan, Co-Secretary; Christopher Keller, Co-Secretary; Austin Brown, Co-Social Chair; and Alexandra Markle, Co-Social Chairperformed the traditional candle-lighting ceremony.
New and Existing Members of the Arista Chapter are pictured at the March 26 ceremony.
At the conclusion of the candle lighting, existing members corded the new members, who signed the official Arista Pledge Book. Finally, together on stage, all members raised their hands and recited along with their superintendent Jeffrey Evoy to abide by the principles of the organization.
The Medina Central School District proudly congratulates the newly inducted members of the Arista Chapter of the National Honor Society. They are: Meghan Allen, Courtney Bailey, Alexis Barcena, Allison Bensley, Davina Birch, Michaela Cardone, Haylee Cogovan, Colm Cooper, Caitlyn Davies, John Derting, Zachary Harris, Aracely Hernandez, Aubrey Hoffmeister, Dominique Hughes, Gregory Husung, Emma Gardner, Alexis Koch, Zachary Laird, Ryan Leffler, Hannah Lonnen, Amanda Lunden, Joseph Mangiola, Bradley McPherson, Elizabeth Newman, Justin Morgan, Stella Russo, Carlin Sanders, Tristan Sanders, Cassandra Sargent, Alyssa Shortridge, Abigail Smith, Tyler Waldriff, Emma Wilson, Carson Zgoda, and Brennan Zinkievich.
