O’Neal inducted 26 students into the National Honor Society on Thursday, January 12. During the ceremony, current members presented the four characteristics of membership: scholarship, leadership, service, and character.
Lauren Callahan, a science teacher at O’Neal’s upper school, was asked to be the guest speaker. Mrs. Callahan has been teaching physics at O’Neal since 2018 and introduced the first astronomy class called Alien Worlds.
While earning her master’s degree in astronomy at Boston University, she researched the role of magnetic fields in the star formation process. She addressed the inductees by relating her study of stars and their constellations to the bits of knowledge (stars) students have received throughout their education and how one bit of knowledge connects with another (constellations). Years of receiving bits of knowledge and learning how to apply it has provided students with a strong foundation of scholarship to find that “star” that hasn’t yet been discovered.
Class of 2023 new inductees are Maya Beasley, Kendall Moore, Peyton Smitherman, and Abi Wilson.
Class of 2024 new inductees are Caroline Acker, Noah Blocklinger, Mary Earhart, Mia Franco, Luke Harper, Honor Hicks, Lauren Hobbs, Mary Grace Huntley, Boyd Kenny, Audrey Kim, Will Kitchens, Sahara Kokott, Lauren Kuhn, Charlie Kuzma, JP Lee, Robbie Mays, Tylar Pastre, John Shepherd, Ava Simmons, Grace Simpson, Clara Tanner, and Rachel Wolff.
Students must demonstrate excellence in these areas and maintain a certain grade-point average to be considered for the National Honor Society. The standard GPA for induction to the National Honor Society is 3.0; however, The O’Neal School requires a cumulative 3.60 GPA for consideration.
Feature photo: New inductees stand to recite the NHS pledge after signing the National Honor Society Charter.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
