Groton Jr./Sr. High School welcomes National Honor Society inductees

Groton Jr./Sr. High School (GHS) held its annual National Honor Society (NHS) and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) induction ceremonies in the GHS auditorium on April 24, with many parents, relatives and friends in attendance.

Scott Montreuil welcomed everyone and explained the course of the evening. Montreuil is the GHS Social Studies Department chair and advisor to the NHS.

“I took over as advisor with the 2014-2015 school year and have noted over the years the growth and maturity that takes place throughout their 10th grade year,” Montreuil said. “Ninth graders are like middle schoolers, and at the beginning of 10th some of those tendencies still exist. By the time they start the application process and get inducted, they have usually really started to grow into young adults. Now that I have seniors, as well, most of them are in my class. I see them daily, and that transformation is really on display. It has made my job as advisor much easier and more about advising because I can lean on them to do a lot of the work for our various activities. The leadership and service qualities that got them into NHS in the first place are on full display.” 

Current and newest members of the NHS

Current members of the NHS are juniors Devyn Blasz, Isabella Brown, Ross Bush, Kadyn Casterline, Adelyn Clore, Jade Conkrite, Brett Deuel, Logan Dunn, Lauren Gallinger, Brody Jackson, Diella Niño, Caryssa Personius, Joslyn Staton, Grace Short, Riley Vliet, Bailey Vliet, and Jillian Zigenfus. The senior members are Olivia Arthur, Lena Brehm, Conor Eldred, Judson Holl, Tessa LaTray, Sean O’Brien (treasurer), Natalie Ray, Alyssa Slater (vice president) and Emily Trejo (president).

Many of the current NHS members were present and spoke about those they had nominated to induct. Those new inductees are Jackson Berry, Ethan Besler, Evan Besler, Abraham Bishop, Caleb Cute, Frank Fish, Stella Holl, Colin O’Brien, Colson Slade, Brooklan Strange and Bryce Wilkinson.

Short, who nominated Evan Besler, said she cherishes being a member because it makes her happy to help other people, and doing acts of community service in NHS allows that to happen. She also said, “I like showing others compassion, and being an example of upholding values and a high standard of character.”

Evan and his twin brother, Ethan, are both soccer players and in band — Evan on flute and Ethan on trumpet — and both expressed similar reasons for their excitement about joining NHS.

“I’m excited that I get to help my community with service projects and support my school,” Evan said. “I like helping in every way I can.”

“I enjoy helping others, getting to know new people and experiencing new things,” Ethan said, “and I’m excited for the opportunity to demonstrate leadership.”

Upcoming leadership: the NJHS!

Following the NHS inductions, Nick Crans, social studies teacher, assistant football coach and boys junior varsity basketball coach, led the NJHS portion of the ceremony.

“This was my first time as advisor to the NJHS, and what has been most exciting about this entire process is getting to work with these young, talented individuals,” Crans said. “This year was a smaller group than we have had in the past, and it would have been impossible to have a successful year without each one of the members, who have been so diligent and responsible with all of their duties and tasks. From fundraisers to community volunteering, every member has shown commitment to the program and our community. They never ceased to amaze me all year with their dedication to the program and community.”

The current members of the NJHS are Leah Allen (vice president), Connie Dickerson, Ella Koenig, Aurora Komala (treasurer), Nattalie Lombardi (president), Violet Santspree (secretary) and Grace Shaff.

The newly inducted members are Sadie Adams, Alison Belcher, Carmen Bishop, Phoebe Bishop, Aoife Cummings, Natalie Cummings, Liesl Moll, Alice O’Brien, Harper O’Neil, Moira Roberts, Natalie Townsend, Kamryn Vanhorn and Natalia Zikeyeva.

“The induction ceremony was personally a very surreal experience for me,” Crans said. “Many of the students who were inducted into the NHS were some of my very first students at Groton when they were only in seventh grade. It is a humbling experience to now work with NJHS and be part of the process of these young individuals growing into well-rounded members of NHS and, some day, well-rounded members of society.” 

“I find it rewarding to get to work with the NHS students on various projects in a capacity outside of the classroom, and seeing them grow into adulthood throughout the process is really special,” Montreuil said.  

The excitement and pride in the room was felt and expressed by all!

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at 607-227-4922. 

In brief:

Happenin’ in the Hamlet Bounce Party

In lieu of McLean’s traditional Happenin’ in the Hamlet, there will be a bounce party from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 10 at Cassavant Elementary School, 32 School St., Freeville, with bounce houses, games, mini golf, sand art, face painting, food and more. A $10 donation allows admission to the bounce houses all day.

The traditional Happenin’ in the Hamlet is postponed until September 26-28, with several exciting additions. Stay tuned here throughout the summer for more details.

Parent/child hanging flower basket workshop

The Good Neighbor Grocery, 209 Peru Rd., will hold a parent/child hanging flower basket workshop from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, May 3. Choose from a variety of flowers and greenery to make matching hanging planters for spring. Cost is $50 per adult/child pair. Additional children can be added for $20 each.

Groton Cemetery Association meeting

The Groton Cemetery Association will hold a meeting of lot owners at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 13 at the Masonic Building, on the corner of Main Street and Lincoln Avenue. The Cemetery Board meeting will follow.