A Fitting Milestone: My NHS Induction
On the evening of Wednesday, February 26, 46 upperclassmen entered the Henderson Theater in black gowns with one thing on their minds: being inducted into the St. La Salle Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS). The group consisted of 19 seniors and 27 juniors.
We arrived at CBA by 6:30 p.m. sharp. The evening began with a great group photo, which is pictured above. I have come across this same photo in years past, and I’ve always said to myself, “That is going to be me one day.”
For the next half-hour, we congregated in the McKay Gym in our lines ordered alphabetically so that cords could be received on stage. I took a look into the theater hall then proceeded to look back at my classmates standing with me. It was surreal that I was being recognized for this, as NHS was something I had my eyes on since my first days at the Academy.
At 7, we walked professionally into the theater. The table on stage was topped with those prestigious gold cords and the podium was surrounded by elegant flowers.
As I sat in my seat listening to Mr. Fales, Mr. Cecilione, and the NHS executive board members, I allowed myself to take a step back and appreciate the ceremony. The speakers continued to emphasize the importance of well-roundedness, which made me appreciate my hard work to an even greater extent.
To be inducted into NHS, the student must display qualities of scholarship, service, character, and leadership. These traits are the four renowned pillars of the NHS.
The scholarship pillar requires students to attain a grade point average of 91.5 percent or higher. The service pillar states that students must complete a minimum of 110 service hours in their community. Students must also hold themselves to a high dignity as well as provide a leadership role separate from their community service.
These milestones proved to be a test throughout my first five semesters at CBA. Maintaining my grades at a high level, staying involved in clubs, improving on two swim teams, and holding myself to a high moral standard all proved to be challenging tasks during my tenure, so far, at CBA.
I reflected on the hard work and late nights that I had put in, and it all became worth it. I was grateful to my parents for supporting me each and every day so that I could be as successful and to my teachers for providing me with a great education thus far. I was thankful for my club moderators and swim coaches for doing everything they could to provide us with exciting extracurriculars, especially during the pandemic.
The feels continued. I walked on stage when my name was called, and when the cords were placed around my neck, everything had come together into one special moment. I walked back to my seat, sat down, and said to myself, “I did it.”
This was a milestone, but more work is to be done. Wednesday is a night I will never forget.
