The National Honor Society was formed in 1921 by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The objectives of the organization were to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to encourage service to others, to promote leadership and to encourage the development of character in the nation’s secondary school students. Eighty-seven years later, more than 12,500 chapters have been chartered, including a chapter at Austin High School.

Membership criteria for Austin High School’s Chapter of the National Honor Society includes being a junior or senior with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.6. The student must also demonstrate leadership, be actively involved in their school and community and also a student in good standing (no discipline referrals or chemical violations).

Austin High School’s Chapter of the National Honor Society held their annual Induction Ceremony on Monday, Oct. 20. At this year’s ceremony, 50 juniors and six seniors were inducted into membership.

This year’s inductees include: Sara Alms, McKenzie Anderson, Bobby Astrup, Laura Astrup, Ben Bachmeier, Ingrid Baudler, Jacob Bentley, Tucker Besel, Alix Borland, Jacob Brehmer, Jolene Brody, Meg Brucker, Sam Brucker, Katrina Carolan, Dan Collier, Ashley Crump, Katie Danielson, Audrey DeVries, Miles Edwards, Tim Erickson, Kelsey Fleming, Christian Folken, T.J. Fritz, Connor Gunderson, Drew Halvin, Sydney Hataye, Whitney Heiny, Jesse Jacobson, Michelle Johannsen, Kari Johnson, Peter Lindahl, Megan Lipari, Zachery Lorentz, Kaycee Lukes, Emily Majerus, Martin Manocchio, Amanda Mattick, BriAnn Mayer, Jack Miller, Bronwyn Mithuen, Gage Morgan, Lauren Nelson, Katlyn Orcutt, Ryan Rasell, Sara Salas, Kaitlyn Stark, Samantha Stark, Jay Stiles, Leihla Wachlin, Julia Wagner, Robert Wahlert, Emily Weiss, Nancy White, Amanda Wichmann, Tyler Wilson and April Winter. These students are joined by our returning members Rebekah Aase, Anna Anderson, Maggie Bartels, Mary Bissen, Caroline Brown, Callie Burton, Kelli Craven, Maggie Craven, Mary Anne Duren, Ellen Ettinger, Will Felton, Courtney Fleming, Kathryn Gavin, Marcus Gunderson, Sarah Ivanca, Adam Johnson, Danielle Jondal, Nate Justice, Emily Loveland, Leah Lumley, Justin Maxfield, Jasilyn Merritt, Ryan Meyer, Hanna Middlebrook, Elizabeth Miller, Tucker Mithuen, Josh Needham, Drew Osier, Kira Potach, Alyssa Ramlo, John Register, Steven Rizzi, Christine Schroeder, Dana Schroeder, Nicole Shatek, Stephanie Soland, Natalie Swan, Abby Thompson, James Thorson, Lindsey Weisert, Jay Wilson and Jacob Winters. All activities are student led and include a large variety of service projects such as conducting a school-wide food drive for the local food shelf, bell ringing for the Salvation Army, working at elementary school carnivals, tutoring high school students, providing childcare for parent meetings, and coordinating an annual campout in the school parking lot to raise money for the local Habitat for Humanity chapter. Each member is required to submit documentation of a minimum of twenty service hours per year but many students far exceed that number.

Austin High School is proud of their National Honor Society members and looks forward to their continued leadership in the school and community.