Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s National Honor Society (NHS) served as a host to a ceremony to induct new members into the society on June 10.

Society officers, along with the group’s advisors, helped lead the program and formally introduce dozens of juniors to NHS, upholding membership throughout their senior year. The ceremony was held in the high school’s auditorium.

NHS is an organization with branches at hundreds of schools across America, meant to be a badge of honor for thousands of students to represent leadership and excellence. The three pillars of NHS consist of leadership, scholarship, and character, all of which are traits expected of members of the group.

To apply, students had to fill out an extensive application that required them to describe volunteer experiences and their past leadership positions. This application added to the selectivity of the program as it was meant to attract dedicated students who are role models for others.

The ceremony commenced at 6 p.m., beginning with the society’s officers introducing themselves and reflecting on NHS’s accomplishments over the course of the school year. One of the keystone events led by NHS was the recent senior sunset car wash, a fundraising opportunity for the senior sunset. The senior sunset is a commemorative annual tradition to bid farewell to Bridgewater-Raritan seniors. This year, the event will take place from 6-9 p.m. on June 18. 

Afterwards, the NHS officers began to announce and call up each and every junior who was accepted into the honor society. The newly-inducted members were given a handshake and certificate to recognize them as part of the program. Applause was held until all names were called, leading to an enormous round of applause for every new member.

Prior to the final remarks, Principal Daniel Hemberger provided some reflection, commending the NHS and what it represented. He warmly welcomed the new members and wished them luck on their future leadership endeavors. The ceremony concluded with the society officers congratulating the new members. 

Harsha Ahmed, a junior who was inducted as a new member into the society, reflected on what the accomplishment meant to him.

“I’m honored to be a part of the NHS. To me, it means a year of service and leadership of the highest order and to give back to both the school and community,” he said.

Abhay Sankar, also a junior joining the society, spoke on the experience of the ceremony as a whole.

“The induction ceremony was very well-executed, and I am excited to contribute more to the NHS’s ideals in the near future,” he said.

Events held and organized by the NHS will begin in the upcoming school year, led by a new group of students to set an exemplary demonstration of leadership and service for the community.