Written by: Anna Lange
Since 1969, the Lyon Chapter of the National Honor Society has accepted students who demonstrate success in academics, as well as showcase strong personal character, leadership, and service within the Salem school and community. On Feb. 16, 15 students, (14 juniors and one senior), were inducted at a ceremony hosted at Salem High School.
After a rigorous application process, members accepted by the faculty council spend their senior year focusing on service work. Advisor Nicole Purlee said that members “strive to truly make our school and community better than they find it each year” through making donations and completing group service projects.
The National Honor Society focuses on service work.
“We currently make monthly donations to a variety of organizations within our school and the community,” she said. “We also do one to two group service projects each year. Our group service project for this semester will be to make blankets for both local nursing homes, which we have done in the last few years. Before COVID-19, NHS also helped more with the SHS Academic Awards program. Many of our members are also Happily Ever After readers at Bradie Shrum Elementary through our partnership with the Washington County Community Foundation. HEAP provides weekly literacy lessons to participating second and third grade classrooms through the use of picture books.”
Being an advisor since 2013, Purlee said that it has been “an honor to be the faculty advisor for NHS; I get to see different sides of our members through their service work, which is not always known about otherwise. The two previous advisors, Jeanne Bedwell and Lisa Gardner, did a wonderful job leading the past members of NHS, and I hope that I can continue to do the same throughout my time as our school's advisor. ”
A benefit of being a member of the National Honor Society are the scholarship opportunities.
“Our chapter of the National Honor Society has been fortunate to receive numerous NHS Scholarships over the last few years,” Purlee said. “The most recent recipients include Taylor Garvin and Madalyn Irwin from the class of 2023. Our members often do not want to be publicly recognized for their positive impacts, even though it is deserved.”
The students who were inducted have revealed a character willing to strive to be positive examples within the school through academic success, leadership, character and service. These members include: senior Audrey Heavin, juniors Brady Briscoe, Raelee Cockerill, Brandon Cornwell, Korabell Gilstrap, Morgan Humphrey, Noah Lee, Abigail Maynard, Rachel McKinley, Anna Lange, McKenzie Voelz, Japeth Webb, Chloe Zink, Lilli Gilstrap and Iris Zinser.