Every October, the Cedar Crest National Honor Society (NHS) welcomes its new members during the annual induction ceremony. This year, it took place on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
However, the event was different from the years past. The construction interfered with the usual location: the auditorium.
This year, the induction was held in The Cage. In years past, new and old members would process in before and after names were called, but this year they stayed seated in the bleachers for the entirety of the event.
Another huge part of the induction ceremony is the guest speaker. This year, Vice President of Communications and Education for Lebanon Family Health Services, Maggie Progin, will be speaking.
“In my process to select someone for the role of guest speaker, I wanted to select someone who had real connecting service to Lebanon County," said senior president Christopher Martinez Mejia. "With her extensive help with medical awareness, substance use and human services for the county she became to me the most viable candidate.”
Mejia was elected to the president position in the spring of the 2025-2026 school year and had embraced the responsibility with open arms.
“It has been a mix of challenges and enthusiasm being in charge of the NHS chapter,” said Mejia. "I've also had a wonderful time addressing members, both new and returning, about what's expected of them and carefully going through major announcements with everyone, so we're all on the same step."
Mejia, along with vice president Ryan Brophy, social media coordinator Rileigh Lightner, treasurer Tyler Do, and secretary Atalia Alnoor gave brief speeches. Mejia spoke several times throughout the night, introducing each speaker and giving opening and closing remarks.
The other four officers each explained one of the four pillars of NHS: scholarship, service, leadership, and character. These pillars are what shape the idea and heart of the National Honor Society, reminding students what they should strive for when serving others.
Applications for NHS were sent to qualifying students towards the end of the summer. Juniors and seniors with a minimum of 3.85 GPA were invited to apply.
One hundred and one students were accepted after the deadline in mid-September, with eighteen seniors and eighty-three juniors inducted at the ceremony. Junior Matthew Peelen was one of the many students to commit to NHS.
“One of my big motivators [to apply] was seeing my siblings take action and volunteer through NHS,” says Peelen. “From what I’ve seen, NHS is very well-run and all the student leaders and teachers are great people.”
National Honor Society runs several events throughout the year, like the Christmas Party and Challenge Day for the IU students.
As the year is set in motion, NHS members will be putting aside their valuable time to serve the community.
“Overall, I can’t wait to see our members going out to the community to see how much their help can truly impact the county," says Mejia.
This article was featured in Volume 61, Issue 3 of The Talon, Cedar Crest High School's student newspaper. It was written by Juliana O'Hara.