Lakewood High members of the National Honor Society welcomed 55 new members into the prestigious academic group at an induction ceremony held at the Civic Auditorium on Jan. 28. Gaining entry into NHS is the highest honor a school can bestow upon a student. Besides academic excellence – candidates must have a cumulative 3.5 GPA – a student is evaluated on his or her character, leadership skills and dedication to service and their involvement in school activities. Chosen by a panel of five faculty members, members must be in their junior or senior year.

Adviser Kathleen Baylog looks forward to the induction ceremony as the highlight of her year. “I am so proud of our officers who have displayed outstanding leadership throughout their tenure.  And what a wonderful thing it is to see the very best among our student body recognized for their commitment to the four tenets of NHS:  character, scholarship, leadership and service,” Baylog said.

Guest speaker Jan Soeder, assistant superintendent for elementary education for the district as well as a Lakewood High NHS inductee in 1963, shared her thoughts and some nuggets of advice with the scholars as they move on throughout their high school years and on to college, jobs or the military. While the world is full of opportunity for them, she said it’s important to remember to be curious, patient, self-confident, seek balance in your life and above all go through life with a positive attitude.

Soeder concluded by sharing some of the words from her induction letter that still hold true today: “Honor is not something one acquires once and automatically holds. It must be continually earned.”

Congratulations to all the members of Lakewood High’s 2009-2010 National Honor Society!

For a list of inductees, officers and current members, please click here.