Every year, the National Honor Society has the privilege of inducting new members. On February 4th, the Saint Joseph High School chapter of the society held its annual induction ceremony, recognizing the hard work of the inductees and encouraging them to continue their record of success.

The ceremony was facilitated by the 2023-2024 officers: Luke Kaufhold, Emma Betz, Anna Hill, and Katie Boyd, as well as the club moderator, Ms. Fuller, and with the help of the school administration. However, perhaps the most exciting appearance was the guest speaker, Mr. Dan Smith.

Mr. Smith was a beloved Chemistry teacher at Saint Joe until he moved to Cincinnati with his wife following the 2021-2022 school year. Mr. Smith was loved for his engaging teaching style, his funny anecdotes and sayings, and his sense of humor, as well as for knowing each and every one of his students by name upon the first day of class.

Smith’s speech at the ceremony focused around the idea of an “old photograph” which he connected to the idea of life, encouraging students to enjoy life’s moments as they experience them, not after they have happened. He also focused on how each individual contributes to a community by being unique, not by “fitting the mold”. He used the example of a periodic table that Katie Boyd gave him, with each element represented by one of Smith’s original sayings.

After Smith’s inspiring speech, the new inductees were reminded about the four pillars of the National Honor Society: Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character. They then recited the Society’s membership pledge, promising to be true to the pillars in their lives, and received their membership certificates.

The ceremony concluded with encouraging words as the new members continue their journey as Honor Society members, and parents and students were invited to a reception afterwards.

With a strong new class of Honor Society members, we cannot wait to see the things they accomplish with their high school careers. Way to go!