Scholarship, service, leadership, and character. These four attributes define the mission of National Honor Society, one of the largest organizations within the school community. At the end of each year, this chapter continues to grow with one special event: Inductions.
While Tap Day invited students to join the exclusive organization and elections found new leaders to build the chapter to new heights, Inductions welcomed these members to their next year of service within NHS. Ultimately, this night had a different meaning for each individual involved in the process.
First, to bring this night together, the Tap Day and Inductions Committee of NHS made sure everything was set up for the members to have a great experience.
“Tap Day is one of my favorite experiences through NHS because it introduces you to a brand new community,” Rathi Thiagarajan (12), a member of the Tap Day and Inductions Committee, said. “Inductions are a chance to establish your commitment to the club. All in all, it’s a lot of fun.”
All of the planning led to a beautiful night dedicated to the people of the hour: the new members of NHS.
“I’m glad to be accepted into NHS because it’s a really great opportunity. Inductions went well—I felt proud and happy to be there,” Isha Deshpande (10) said.
Of course, another large aspect of NHS is the retirement of old NHS officers, as they passed the torch to a new group of leaders. For new officers, Inductions marked a shift towards reflecting on what they’ve done this year and thinking about their next year in office.
“I feel great. There are a lot of opportunities to grow, and I’ve learned a lot from this past year of being in NHS,” Kirthi Ramesh (11), the president of NHS for the 2026-27 school year, said. “Next year, I think we can enhance what we’re doing now.”
The current sponsors of NHS, Shelley Gerringer and Dan Evans, also play a large role in Inductions, as well as NHS as a whole. This year, in particular, brings about new changes, as Gerringer is retiring at the end of this school year and is now passing on her role to Mary Ellen Riley.
“The Inductions ceremony is the closing of one chapter and the opening of another each year,” Gerringer said. “It is a time when the outgoing officers can reflect on the impact they had, and the incoming officers can dream about what the next year will look like. That’s one of the exciting things about NHS… Each year can look different than the year before based on the leaders’ vision for that year.”
With Tap Day, elections, and Inductions signifying the beginning of new chapters, as well as the start of the end of some meaningful moments, NHS has been given a new spark that will grow into greater change within the chapter, school, community, and world. And, as life goes on for each student, they will continue to learn the importance of scholarship, service, leadership, and character as part of the Red and Blue chapter of NHS.
