#1StudentNWI: Reflections of Honor at Andrean High School

#1StudentNWI: Reflections of Honor at Andrean High School

Induction Ceremony
On November 14, Andrean's chapter of the National Honor Society welcomed over fifty new members at its annual induction ceremony. These new additions will triple the number of current members and hopefully this influx will allow the society to partake in bigger, wider-reaching service projects.

The ceremony was held in the cafeteria. Inductees, current members, and family piled in for this significant event. Acting administrator and former NHS member Dr. Tony Bonta was present, as was assistant principal Mrs. Hether Lytton.

"[Their] presence gave it the air of dignity that this responds to," said Mrs. Fitzpatrick, a moderator of NHS. Another significant participator was Father Kevin McCarthy. He was able to attend and even read a passage from the gospel of John. The passage he read pertained to serving others, which was extremely pertinent to NHS, which essentially functions as a service organization. He may have understood that better than most because he was also once a member of NHS himself.

The time for cookies and celebration would come, but not before the inductees would solemnly pledge themselves to uphold the purposes of National Honor Society. These purposes are based on the four criteria of acceptance to the society, which are also the pillars that the members strive toward. These four criteria are scholarship, service, character, and leadership. It is important to recognize the importance of each of these criteria.

Kelsey Friis, a current NHS member, said, "I think that it’s good to have an induction ceremony so that people can understand that it is a really big deal, because it’s not just based off of what your GPA is. It’s based off of who you are as a person and what you can bring to the school as an active member."

National Honor Society members agree that this society is a lot more than another honor roll or something to put on college applications. Tyree Austin, president of Andrean's chapter of NHS, talked about the importance of the society.

Andrean-1Student-November-2016_02 "It gives students a chance to give back to the community and help those in need, whether it’s a physical need or spiritual need," he said. "NHS allows us to understand the importance of ministerial work and allows us to practice selflessness."

It seems that this message about service really got through to the newly inducted members. "I’m just really excited to be a part of NHS because of the community service, and I love doing community service," Hayley Reynolds said.

She and fellow inductee Nadia Hartman are both looking forward to ringing the bells for the Salvation Army on Black Friday.

"I’m feeling the love tonight," Hartman said, "and I am so happy to be part of this wonderful community."

The ceremony was significant for more than just the new inductees; it was also inspiring for potential future NHS members. Hartman's brother, an eighth-grader at St. Patrick's, said, "This program has really enlightened me and showed me the potential and the criteria to get into NHS. I’m looking to be a leader and step up in my community."

All in all, it was a very successful induction ceremony. There were a lot of smiles all around, and generally a lot of excitement about the potential of this school year's National Honor Society. If current members have one message to new members, it's this: "You are in NHS now," Allison Biscocho said.

Andrean-1Student-November-2016_03Making a Difference
Mrs. Carol Fitzpatrick is going on her thirty-third year of teaching, but her enthusiasm in the classroom never falters. Any student who has been in Mrs. Fitzpatrick's classroom can testify to her undeniable passion about teaching. Whether it is crafting examples of rhetorical devices or utilizing logic fallacies to win an argument, students learn how to make connections and apply those connections in real life.

Right now, she is teaching AP Language and Composition and Honors English 11. While she doesn't have a favorite class to teach, she does have a favorite moment: the "a-ha" moment.

"What I love is when somebody who has been struggling to understand and they’ve been pushing for it and all of a sudden they get that a-ha moment, and they start to make the connections. Not just on whatever we’re working on at that moment, they can apply it to other areas of their learning, and even more importantly, other areas in their life," Fitzpatrick said.

She is dedicated to working with students and helping them get to that point, but she emphasizes how important it is for the students to apply themselves and make an effort on their part. "It's just like training a muscle," she said. "If you don't use a muscle, it will atrophy. Similarly, if a person doesn't push themselves, they'll regress."

Thankfully, that should never happen students who put effort in and work with Mrs. Fitzpatrick. She introduces the material and uses repetition to help it sink in. She also doesn't hesitate to push her students to the edge of their comfort zones, because "as long as every individual keeps pushing his or herself, they will go where they’ve never gone before."

Andrean-1Student-November-2016_04 Her influence goes beyond the classroom. As a moderator of National Honor Society, Mrs. Fitzpatrick plays quite a significant role in that community. She was an NHS member herself in high school, and became involved in it again as a staff member when she was teaching in Florida.

"When I got involved with it again, looking at the side of serving others and helping others, I decided that it was something I wanted to stick with," she said. Now, she helps NHS members put on various service projects. One in particular that Mrs. Fitzpatrick is looking forward to is the Christmas Adopt-a-Family, wherein money is raised to purchase Christmas gifts for families who are struggling financially.

When asked why she became a teacher, Mrs. Fitzpatrick's answer is simple. "I wanted to make a difference."

She certainly has, both inside and outside of the classroom.