ACS inducted 16 middle school students into the National Junior Honor Society at a March 28 ceremony in the school gymnasium. It was the second largest group of inductees since ACS established its chapter of the NJHS in 2012. Upper School Principal Meg McHale and school counselor Christina Ragland, the chapter advisor, welcomed over 100 family members and guests and congratulated the inductees for their significant achievements.
The 7th and 8th grade students inducted into the National Junior Honor Society were: 8th graders Aiden Cortes, Xavier Johnson, and Gracie Leon, and 7th graders Gabriel Capito, Colton Carney, Matthew Coates, Aiden Costantini, Caelyn Domsic, Liam Larkin, Grace Lushina, Malena Meyer, Antonino Miranda, Raquel Mitchell, Julia Morris, Sophia Rose, and Isabella Saad.
Faculty member Daniel Vasquez, who teaches 7th-9th grade Bible, was the guest speaker and shared a message drawn from Luke 2 and the experience of Jesus at the age of 12 interacting with the Jewish teachers in the temple in Jerusalem. Vasquez noted that at the end of Luke 2 it says that “Jesus grew in wisdom and statue, and in favor with God and men.”
Vasquez encouraged the inductees to emulate the example of Jesus as a young man — to focus on others above self, to be ready to teach and lead others, and to stay on a path of constantly growing and gaining wisdom.
“Today is not the end of your growth, Vasquez said. “Today is really the beginning of your growth.”
The ceremony culminated with Club Advisor Ragland leading the students in the Honor Society pledge and then introducing each inductee, who signed the official chapter registry, lit a votive candle, and were presented with their society membership certificate by McHale.
Senior members of the ACS chapter of the National Junior Honor Society also participated in the ceremony, speaking about the spiritual significance of each of the Honor Society’s four guiding principles. Senior chapter member Josiah Christmon spoke on the principle of scholarship, Kalee Tardif spoke on service, Shelby Tomlinson spoke on leadership, and Kiara Loo spoke on Christian character.
