The National Honor Society (NHS) welcomed 53 new members into La Salle’s chapter at the induction ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 18 in La Salle’s theater, inviting friends and family to celebrate the achievements of the new inductees.

Coming up on his second year as the La Salle NHS chapter advisor, math teacher Mr. Kieron Redford described the ceremony as a way “to celebrate everything that they’ve done [and] everything they have achieved to be at this point,” rather than simply a means of officially inducting new members.

“It is a big deal to have such high skills in your scholarship, it is a big deal to have done extra service,” Mr. Redford said. “And it’s great to recognize that.” 

The night opened with senior and Student Body President Raphael De Leon leading a brief prayer among the inductees and their guests, and senior and Student Body Vice President Catie Tassinari also led the room in a land acknowledgment practice before De Leon returned to invite chemistry teacher and this year’s Educator of the Year, Mr. Matthew Owen, to step on stage to deliver his speech to the inductees — a custom upheld at each NHS induction ceremony at La Salle.

Whether it be sharing words of wisdom, celebration, or congratulation to the inductees, the focus of each Educator of the Year’s speech has differed from year to year, Mr. Redford said. This year’s speech is one that Mr. Owen hopes will help to guide and “frame what the inductees are going to do,” as new members of the NHS, putting emphasis on acts of service, mentorship, and integrity.

Following several speeches given by returning NHS members, inductees were finally invited to stand and make the National Honor Society Pledge. They were then called up in small groups on stage to receive their NHS membership certificates, handed out by the same group of NHS students leading the event. 

While overseen by Mr. Redford, the event had a group of preexisting NHS members “basically running it,” he said, as the student leaders were heavily involved in the planning, organization, and execution of the ceremony.

“I was an inductee, and I was in their place,” said senior and current NHS member Claire Schnyder, expressing her personal reason for helping to lead the event as “making sure that [inductees] know that there’s people to help guide them if they ever have issues.”

Afterward, newly-inducted members and their families and friends were invited to join in a reception held in La Salle’s main hallway, where cookies and photo opportunities were offered to each of that evening’s attendees.