The Storm King School community gathered to celebrate excellence this spring as 30 students were welcomed into the National Honor Society (NHS). During an All School Meeting held in the Walter Reade Jr. Theatre, 20 juniors and 10 seniors were honored in a traditional NHS candle-lighting ceremony recognizing their achievements in scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

The newest inductees include seniors Faisal A. ’26, Yi D. ’26, Tung Duonge L. ’26, Luis G. ’26, Keiyona J. ’26, Fengqi L. ’26, Valeria M. ’26, Minh Ha N. ’26, Santiago S. ’26, and Nina U. ’26, along with juniors Izah C. ’27, Yuhan C. ’27, Ziming C. ’27, Junyu C. ’27, Elspeth D. ’27, Elijah F. ’27, Aadya G. ’27, Emmett J. ’27, Yun K. ’27, Micah L. ’27, Zhaoyi L. ’27, Kaitlyn M. ’27, Lam Tien N. ’27, Zixuan N. ’27, Dung V. ’27, Conghan W. ’27, Yirui Y. ’27, Feifan Y. ’27, Yuwei X. ’27, and Faxiang Z. ’27.

New NHS members are selected by faculty based on the four core pillars that have defined the organization for more than a century: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. These principles were highlighted throughout the morning’s traditional candle-lighting ceremony.

Following opening remarks from English Department Chair and NHS mentor Dr. Alex Finn-Atkins, Storm King Chapter President Antonio M. ’26, reflecting on NHS’ guiding values, called current members to the stage to light four candles–each representing one of the Society’s core pillars.

The first candle symbolized Scholarship, honoring academic dedication, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to excellence in the classroom. The second candle represented Service, recognizing the importance of helping others and contributing meaningfully to the community. The third candle was lit for Leadership, celebrating students who lead through initiative, integrity, and positive example. The final candle symbolized Character, the foundation of trust, responsibility, honesty, and respect that defines strong citizenship both within and beyond the school community.

Following the candle-lighting ceremony, NHS co-mentor Lisa Shrem called each of the new inductees to the stage to sign the NHS register and officially join the ranks of this distinguished organization. To complete their induction, students raised their right hands and recited the NHS Pledge, affirming their commitment to uphold the ideals and responsibilities of membership.

Closing the ceremony, Head of School Lisa Shambaugh congratulated the inductees and reflected on the significance of the occasion: “Being inducted into the National Honor Society is not only about excellence in one area; it’s about how you show up every day and how you give back to the community in all areas. The students who have been selected truly represent the four defining areas of leadership, character, service, and scholarship. Your hard work and commitment to serving others exemplify the very best of both the NHS and The Storm King School community.”