Honoring Mercy girls into NHS
Juniors Suha Qashou (left), Paige Skorupski (middle), and Nicole Yaekle (right) acknowledge their success over their three years at Mercy after being inducted into the National Honor Society. Photo by Bella Aprilliano
The juniors accepted into the National Honor Society (NHS) braced themselves as they proudly walked onto the Mercy auditorium stage for the NHS induction ceremony. Their names were announced as a golden rope was placed over them, exemplifying diligence and success. They made their way across the stage and signed a document, permanently leaving their mark as a member of NHS. They eventually exited the stage, having officially been inducted into NHS and starting their journey as honorable NHS members.
NHS has honored Mercy girls for their academic and in-school achievements since 1951. Every year, juniors who acquire a 3.4 GPA or higher are invited into NHS. After filling out applications and attending the NHS induction ceremony, these students are officially accepted into the program. NHS members are expected to volunteer for the fall and spring Open Houses, maintain a 3.4 GPA or higher, perform in multiple service opportunities, and tutor underclassmen in classes they are struggling in.
Mrs. Sara McGavin and Mrs. Missy Kreucher are the co-moderators of NHS and strive to make the program the best it can be. Mrs. McGavin took over NHS halfway through last year after simply being a part of it for the past four years. She and Mrs. Kreucher want students to exemplify the four pillars of NHS: service, leadership, scholarship, and service.
“I want the girls to feel empowered to step up and be leaders, while still maintaining good grades,” said Mrs. McGavin. “I want to create student leaders who do service as well.”
Mrs. McGavin hopes NHS will help girls leave Mercy with a strong understanding of what it means to be a leader who does service and makes a difference in the world.
“I’m hoping the girls know that serving someone else helps them grow as leaders,” said Mrs. McGavin. “NHS will allow them to graduate from Mercy with time management skills, too, because NHS is so demanding and is a lot to juggle.”
Mrs. McGavin says she is proud of the success of NHS, including the excellent tutoring program.
“I love watching the girls serve and become strong leaders,” said Mrs. McGavin. “They learn a lot and seeing them grow is empowering.”