Each year, Pembroke Pines Charter High School’s (PPCHS) National Honor Society (NHS) dedicates hours looking through countless applications in order to decide who will be the new inductees for the following year. Prior to entering the NHS, students must partake in the induction ceremony which will mark their official acceptance.
Over the course of a few weeks, the NHS board put their time into organizing the event. From purchasing the food to preparing the script, it was necessary to complete prior to the day of the event. The NHS sponsor, Jillian Palacio, explains that “it really is a group effort, it requires donations [and] it requires the board to be hands-on.”
This induction is a key moment for their new members because it symbolizes the start of the new chapter alongside new faces and great talents. After receiving their letters of acceptance, the new members dressed formally to experience such a memorable event to remind them of their hard work it took to be accepted.
“It’s a great moment to recognize hard work, the dedication, and the efforts to be in such a prestigious club,” Palacio describes.
The day of the induction ceremony was consumed with preparing balloons, setting up the arch, and displaying the five candles that symbolize what NHS stands for: knowledge, scholarship, service, leadership, and character. After hours of work to decorate and assemble, the library auditorium dimmed the lights and began the ceremony.
Despite obstacles that were faced along the way, the ceremony ended up being a success with each new inductee receiving their certificate. Sophomore Shreenidhi Vasudevan even expresses that she is “excited to continue contributing to the community and develop my leadership skills.”
Palacio did, however, emphasize how beneficial a rehearsal could’ve been since “the sound [didn’t] work and we [had] a room of people ready to start, that’s when it became stressful.”
With inducting 55 new members into NHS, Palacio finds that this club is a good way to promote leadership, and “I think it really does help form leaders… we learn a lot about initiatives and community needs.”
This ceremony was also meant to socialize with friends who were also getting inducted as well. “While I did get my certificate, it was also amazing to see a lot of my friends, especially during a formal event like this one,” Vasudevan explains.
Seeing the turn out of this ceremony, NHS is ecstatic for the upcoming year and what it holds for them. Bringing in a fresh pair of hands to the society, Palacio concludes with the new members: “step out of your comfort zone and get involved in the community… [our NHS] members can help lift up the community and lift our club.” With their new ideas, the rising members are waiting to leave their mark in the National Honor Society.
