001[Music] good evening ladies and gentlemen my name is jada fleck and i'm the president of our chapter of the national honor society the national honor society consists of four pillars leadership character service and scholarship the candle in the center of the table represents the eternal light of knowledge our parliamentarian caitlyn frazier will now light the candle of eternal knowledge our principal mr steven patello and i will now bring forward our candidates so please rise our historian joel sheftock will lead the pledge of the good of allegiance indivisible with liberty and jokes for all please be seated the remaining unlit candles represent the four pillars of james s kilpatrick national honor society the officers of the society will now light those candles the candles will be lit by the members who represent leadership character service and
002scholarship mr jacob perez will light the candle of leadership mr josh mendyk will light the candle of character mr roman voigne will light the candle of service mr joel sheptalk will light the candle of scholarship i'd like to introduce our principal mr stephen vitello thank you and good evening welcome everyone to a very special ceremony tonight we induct our newest members into a prestigious and notable organization in doing so we are recognizing the accomplishments of these young men and women both in and out of the classroom and during extraordinary times these accomplishments are not achieved in isolation they are the product of a team effort i would like to recognize and thank our board of education and our superintendent dr nancy hudanic for all of their support i would also like to recognize mrs tack
003for her ongoing efforts to support these students and to serve as a positive role model i was thinking just before this event how last year our national honor society induction was the last annual event that we held in person and i believe that it's kind of symbolic that here we are again as our first annual event coming back together to do this and i think it shows us two things first i think it shows us that there's a lot of positive things to come and second i think it shows us that nothing not even a global pandemic can stop mrs tack when she wants to put on her national honor society induction so thank you again i would like to recognize our dedicated faculty and staff who work with these students to help them achieve
004their full potential and i would especially like to recognize the parents and family members here tonight who have been with these inductees through all of the ups and downs rides back and forth to countless volunteer hours emotional support when all of these responsibilities seem to be overwhelming this accomplishment of your children is also a testament to the outstanding parents and families that you are thank you and finally i would like to recognize the students that we honor here today both the current and the new national honor society members in these very challenging times you represent hope you represent a promise that our future is bright because it's in the hands of young men and women like yourselves thank you for your hard work your passion and your leadership and congratulations the membership of the james
005s kilpatrick national honor society has been earned by the effective demonstration of the four qualities held in high esteem by the society four of our officers will review these qualities for the candidates our vice president mr jacob perez on leadership should exert a wholesome influence on the school and taking the initiative in class and school activities the real leader strives to train and aid others to attain the same objective the price of leadership is sacrifice the willingness to yield one's personal interest for the interest of others a leader has self-confidence and will go forward when others hesitate no matter what power and resources may exist in a country they are ineffectual without the guidance of a wise leader leadership is always needed thus to lead is a substantive charge each of our members and to
006the candidates our secretary mr josh mendike on character is the force within each individual which distinguishes that person from others it gives each one individuality is that that without which no one can represent oneself nor hope to attain the respect of others it is this force of character which get guides on through life and which once developed growth steadily character is achieved and not received it is this product of constant action daily striving to make the right choice the problem of character is a problem of self-control we must be ready what we wish to appear to others by demonstrating such qualities as reliability honesty and sincerity we may hope to prove an example that we value character our treasurer mr roman boynier on service my office is service service can be described in various ways
007in the routine of a day's work many opportunities arise to help others willingness to work for the benefit of those in need without monetary compensation without recognition is the quality we seek in our membership we are committed to the idea of volunteering our time and abilities to the creation of a better tomorrow our historian mr joel sheptak on scholarship means a commitment to learning a student is willing to spend hours in reading and study knowing the lasting benefits of a cultivated mind we should continue to learn even when formal education has ended for education ends only with life knowledge is one great element in life which leads to the highest success and it can be acquired in only one way through diligence and effort learning furnishes the lamp by which we read the past and
008the light which illuminates the future candidates have the charge to continually expand their world through the opportunities inherent in scholarship now i'd like to introduce our keynote speaker mr matthew pleasants thank you for those warm greetings good evening it is a great honor to stand before you and speak at this wonderful occasion i congratulate each of you and your families your achievements in the area of scholarship leadership service and character are being honored here tonight by your induction into this prestigious society another on honor such as this is a great way for our school and our community to recognize and celebrate the choices and sometimes the sacrifices you have made and the challenges you have faced and the sacrifices that you have made during this current pandemic have been great but you have persevered and
009tonight you sit here among the best of the best you should be proud of yourselves and your achieve and your achievements i know we all are therefore what should make you and your families the most proud is not the actual honor itself but what you had to do to get it as ralph waldo emerson said the reward of a thing well done is to have it done any recognition is just icing on the cake not to be expected but definitely to be enjoyed the four requirements for membership in which you have excelled scholarship leadership service and character were not chosen at random they are the core of a fulfilled and a fulfilling life the most important thing to remember is that each of these characteristics are the sum of many individual decisions they embody a
010positive attitude backed by purpose the only way to achieve your purchase purpose is to take small actions every day in the end they all add up my hope for you is that you will cultivate this attitude back by purpose in your own life and by finding your purpose you will certainly make a difference in your life and you may just make a difference in someone else's life there was a story i'd like to share with you it was inspired by the writing of lauren eisley lauren was a very special person because he combined the most of the best of two cultures he was a scientist and a poet from these two perspectives he wrote insightly insightfully and beautifully about the world we live in and our role in it and it goes like this once
011upon a time there was a wise man much like eisley himself he used to go to the ocean to do his writing he had the habit of walking along the beach before he began his work one day he was walking along the shore and as he looked down the beach he saw a human figure moving like a dancer he smiled to himself to think of to think of someone who would dance to the day so he began to walk a little faster to catch up as he got closer he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing but instead he was reaching down to the sand picking up something and gently throwing it into the ocean as he got closer he called out good morning what are you doing the
012young man paused looked up and replied throwing starfish into the sea i guess i should have asked why are you throwing starfish into the sea well the sun is up and the tide is going out and if i don't throw them in they'll die but young man don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it you can't possibly make a difference the young man listened politely then bent down picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea passed the breaking waves and looked at the man and said it made a difference to that one his response surprised the man he was upset he didn't know how to reply so instead he turned away and went back to the cottage to begin his writings all day long as he
013wrote the image of that young man haunted him he tried to ignore it but the vision persisted finally late in the afternoon he realized that he the scientist he the poet had missed the essential nature of the young man's actions because he realized that the young man was doing what the young man was doing was choosing not to be an observer in the world and watch it pass by but was choosing to be an actor and make a difference he was embarrassed that night he went to bed troubled when morning came he awoke and he had to do something so he got up put on his clothes went to the beach and found the young man and with him spent the rest of the morning throwing starfish into the ocean you see what the young
014man's actions represent is something that is special in each and every one of us we all have been gifted with the ability to make a difference and if you can like the young men become aware of your gifts you gain through the strength of your vision the power to shape your future and that is your challenge you must find your starfish and if you throw your stars wisely and well i have no question that your future will be very very bright remember vision without action is merely a dream action without vision just passes time vision with action can change the world congratulations again inductees thank you ladies and gentlemen we would now like to introduce our new members what they please stand please hold your applause till the end our first candidate is 16 years
015old her favorite mentor is chef stephanie her favorite subject is science her favorite activities are contortion ballet tennis and volleyball her extracurricular activities are volunteering at her church her future goal is to be a culinary arts teacher she's the daughter of sam bell merker-chan and alfredo movesession the national honor society welcomes ani [Applause] merkerchong our next candidate is 16 years old her favorite mentors are her mom and dad her favorite subject is world cultures her favorite activities are baking reading and golfing her extracurricular activities are cross-country and golf her future goal is to be a human resource manager she's the daughter of christine and raymond brown the national honor society welcomes emily brown [Applause] our next candidate is 17 years old her favorite mentors are her parents and grandparents her favorite subject is culinary arts
016her favorite activities are spending time with friends and family going to the beach and playing sports her extracurricular activities are soccer and basketball her future goal is to be a lawyer or actuary she's the daughter of hope and paul pinto the national honor society welcomes haley pinto our next candidate is 17 years old her favorite mentors are her dad mom and mrs weiker her favorite subject is early childhood development her favorite activity is painting her extracurricular activities are key club and skills usa her future goal is to be a college graduate she's the daughter of jay tierney the national honor society welcomes mackenzie tierney our next candidate is 17 years old her favorite mentors are her mom her aunt brittany and mr pleasants her favorite subjects are law and public safety and the sciences her
017favorite activities are riding her bike being with her friends and family and being with her dog her extracurricular activities are peer leadership in key club her future goal is to be a toxicologist she is the daughter of jill serracio the national honor society welcomes risa [Applause] estes our next candidate is 16 years old her favorite mentor is her mother her favorite subject is history her favorite activities are softball and baking her extracurricular activity is playing softball her future goal is to be a pediatric nurse practitioner she is the daughter of stacy and ethan brown the national honor society welcomes isabella williams our next candidate is 17 years old her favorite mentor is her mom her favorite subjects are chemistry and history her favorite activities are laughing and having a good time with friends and family
018her extracurricular activities are soccer and basketball her future goal is to be a financial engineer she is the daughter of arsenia garcia the national honor society welcomes alejandra garcia [Applause] our next candidate is 18 years old his favorite mentor is his pilot instructor his favorite subject is psychology his favorite activities are flying biking riding roller coasters and going to the water park his extracurricular activities are student council skills usa cross country and peer leadership his future goals are to be an airline pilot or captain for a major airline he's the son of frank and laurie brazile the national honor society welcomes frank brazil our next candidate is 17 years old her favorite mentors are her mom and dad her favorite subject is world cultures her favorite activities are hanging out with friends going outside and
019driving around her extracurricular activities are swim team and fellowship of christian athletes her future goal is to be a traveling nurse she's the daughter of heather and louis bruno the national honor society welcomes alexandra bruno [Applause] our next candidate is 16 years old her favorite mentor is her aunt ruth ann handley her favorite subject is math her favorite activities are reading drawing and laughing her extracurricular activities are soccer and basketball her future goal is to be a forensic anthropologist she's the daughter of barbara cleffy and david cleffy the national honor society welcomes emma cleffy our next candidate is 16 years old her favorite mentor is her aunt megan her favorite subject is english her favorite activities are photography spending time with friends and playing soccer her extracurricular activities are soccer and volunteer club her future
020goal is to be a film director she's the daughter of bob and courtney smith the national honor society welcomes anna smith [Applause] our next candidate is 16 years old her favorite mentor is mr jones her favorite subject is physics her favorite activities are photography filmmaking and video editing her extracurricular activity is volunteer club her future goals are to be a movie director she's the daughter of ed and maria desantis the national honor society welcomes eleni desantis our next candidate is 17 years old her favorite mentors are her swim coach mom and dad her favorite subject is cosmetology her favorite activity is swim her extracurricular activity is dance her future goal is to be a cosmetologist she's the daughter of kathy and richard jameson the national honor society welcomes jacqueline jameson our next candidate is 16
021years old her favorite mentors are her parents her favorite subjects our english and history her favorite activities are playing softball and fishing her extracurricular activities are soccer and softball her future goal is to be a wildlife conservationist she's the daughter of kim and kevin bauer the national honor society welcomes lilly bauer our next candidate is 17 years old her favorite mentors are her parents her favorite subject is world cultures her favorite activities are going to the beach and surfing with friends her extracurricular activities are cross-country and swim her future goal is to be a marine biologist she's the daughter of tom and melissa frederick the national honor society welcomes emerson frederick [Applause] our next candidate is 17 years old her favorite mentors are her parents her favorite subject is history her favorite activities are surfing
022playing guitar and hanging out with friends her extracurricular activity is lacrosse her future goal is to be a director or producer she's the daughter of mary and ben clark the national honor society welcomes stella clark our next candidate is 18 years old her favorite mentors are her grandmother rita her uncle chris her parents mistoff and miss tac her favorite subject is natural sciences her favorite activities are surfing photography painting and bird watching her extracurriculars are future farmers of america varsity basketball racing and new jersey lifeguard races and the cape county volunteer fire company her her future goals are to play basketball in college and become a new jersey state conservation officer she's the daughter of joseph campbell and elizabeth dougherty the national honor society welcomes kennedy campbell so our next candidate is 17 years old
023her favorite mentors are her mother and father her favorite subject is history her favorite activities are playing softball hanging out with friends and video games her extracurricular activities are key club and volunteer club her future goal is to be a forensic scientist she is the daughter of mark and nancy dano the national honor society welcomes julia dana our next candidate is 17 years old his favorite mentor is stephanie hayhurst his favorite subject is physics his favorite activities are skating biking hockey dog walks going to the beach and going to the boardwalk his extracurricular activity is key club his future goal is to be an astrophysicist astronomer or pharmacist he's the son of catherine and jason hesley the national honor society welcomes jackson hoesley our next candidate is 18 years old her favorite mentors are her
024parents her favorite subject is mythology her favorite activities are running and taking care of the plants in the school greenhouse her extra-curricular activity is ffa her future goal is to be a veterinarian she is the daughter of jennifer lim and ferdinand lim the national honor society welcomes yara lynn our next candidate is 17 years old his favorite mentors are his father and grandfather his favorite subjects are english and history his favorite activities are reading writing and hockey his extracurricular activities are key club and hockey his future goal is to be a teacher he's the son of david and denise mclaughlin the national honor society welcomes shane bruce mclaughlin so our next candidate is 16 years old his favorite mentor is mr mcelroy his favorite subject is mathematics his favorite activities are volleyball hanging out with
025friends and video games his extracurricular activities are swimming cross-country and esports his future goal is to be a computer programmer he is the son of charlie rios and yenni rios the national honor society welcomes carlos rios so our next candidate is 16 years old his favorite mentor is mr godfrey his favorite subject is entertainment production his favorite activities are playing instruments his extracurricular activities are playing in a band and open mic nights his future goal is to be a musician he's the son of monique and dan james the national honor society welcomes jacob james [Applause] our next candidate is 16 years old his favorite mentors are his father mother and older brother his favorite subjects are physics and the sciences his favorite activities are running exercising and spending time with friends and family his extracurricular
026activities are cross-country and volunteering his future goal is to be an engineer he's the son of kim and sean o'reilly the national honor society welcomes jared o'reilly our next candidate is 18 years old his favorite mentors are miss toft and miss heinz his favorite subject is national natural sciences his favorite activities are playing video games and making art his extracurricular activities are participating in food drives at work his future goal is to be an animal rehabilitationist he's the son of lisa and dominic ionase the national honor society welcomes dominic ionase our next candidate is 16 years old his favorite mentors are mr halsey mr ludwig and mr wenker his favorite subject is english his favorite activities are playing basketball and going to the beach his extra-curricular activities are volunteer work his future goal is to
027be a sports journalist he's the son of georgia and ed masterson the national honor society welcomes luke masterson our next candidate is 17 years old his favorite mentor is mr namira his favorite subject is entertainment production his favorite activities are making music playing video games and taking walks around his neighborhood his favorite extracurricular activities are robotics club and soccer his future goal is to be a music engineer or producer he's the son of daniel and monique james the national honor society welcomes noah james we would also like to recognize one of our candidates that unfortunately could not be here tonight she is 17 years old her favorite mentor is her father ed her favorite subject is math her favorite activity is skiing her extracurricular activities are baking lawn care cemetery restoration and home repair her
028future goal is to be a cemetery proprietor she's the daughter of edward fox bixby ii the national honor society welcomes ava fox bixby [Applause] now our parliamentarian caitlin frazier and members at large maddie sweitzer taylor mortensen and jordan wilder will pass the flame onto the new members the new inductees will now repeat after me to recite the pledge of the national honor society i pledge myself to uphold the high purposes of the national honor society to which i have been selected striving in every way by word indeed to make its ideals the ideals of my school and of my life i pledge myself to uphold the high purposes of the national honor society to which i have been selected i will be true to the principles for which it stands i will be loyal to
029my school and i will maintain and encourage high standards of scholarship service leadership and character let us now recognize and applaud the new members of the national honor society of cape me county technical high school the new members will now blow out their candles and return to their seats mr patel and our chapter advisor miss jean attack will now hand out the new members national honors society certificates first row please stand ani merker-chan emily brown haley pinto mckenzie tierney isabella williams alejandra garcia thank you please be seated second row please rise frank brazil alexandra bruno emma cluffy anna smith eleni desantis jacqueline jameson lily bauer please be seated third row please rise emerson frederick stella clark kennedy campbell julia dano jackson hesley yara lim shane mclaughlin please be seated fourth row please rise carlos rios
030jacob james jared o'reilly dominic ionase luke masterson and noah james please be seated i would now like to introduce dr whodanis to address the guests and new inductees wow what a traditional awesome ceremony congratulations heartfelt congratulations for your hard work your dedication parents through those masks i know i see proud smiles of happiness and wow the kids did it but most of all i want to just again reiterate the words of wisdom you heard with your candle of knowledge your pillars for the honor of society this is a very very prestigious achievement principal vitello absolutely congratulated you for your dedication and hard work mr pleasants mentioned in his parable and poem yes you will make a difference because you have chosen to follow your high school career with caring service character and knowledge i am
031honored and privileged and in awe of each and every one of you and of course miss tac and the honor society members enjoy your evening thank you now i would like to invite miss gene attack for the closing remarks oh i have my glasses in my pocket it's a good thing i'm just going to say where are my glasses that's a problem okay good evening everyone um first i just wanted to say before i read anything i'm just so happy we were able to pull this off for these young scholars because they so much deserve it in such trying times it's very easy right now to sit back and do nothing and it takes that extra effort to really be where you are right now so that was the first thing i wanted to say
032first i'd like to say how proud i am of these young scholars and their introduction to the national honor society tonight we inducted 28 new members in this prestigious society and i believe a good huge congratulations is an order job well done one last round of applause for you guys so well done guys i would also like to thank everyone that made this evening possible thank you to our teachers our administrators our staff for their contributions and unwavering dedication to our students we have the support and cooperation of so many people however i'd really like to mention just a few and recognize the important supportive individuals that made this night happen i'd like to thank our superintendent dr hudanic and the board of education for their continued support i'd like to thank mr vitale the
033principal of kate may tech for serving as head of the national honor society and helping us with the program details on a personal note thank you for your guidance support helping me keep my sanity even though i know you probably run the other way when you see me coming but honestly thank you for always telling me relax everything's going to be fine just calm down because it always is i would also like to thank mr matthew pleasants for his inspiring keynote address and our national honor society faculty council for their time and expertise i love that story of the starfish it's so inspiring chef warren wade and his culinary students for the food that will be available outside of the gym at the end of the induction ceremony mr michael matthews for printing the programs
034and also mr namira and his entertainment students which two of them are being inducted right now for their help with the sound and the lighting system i'd also like to stop thank mr josh anderson miss toft and miss crystal hines the ag science students and i think we have one of those also in the inductees right now for providing the beautiful plant displays for the past year we are mindful that the world and the everyday look different for all of us as we deal with this covet 19 impact what matters though most is the health and safety of everyone in our school and our community we also see people stepping up in the crisis the show the leadership goes beyond the walls of the schools and of the and of uh and just the building
035it is in our love for our community that leadership becomes realized we need to show our community and the world our students in this light not as young people awaiting bad news and the next announcement announcement of a crisis but of the strong leaders who jump in and help her they're needed during this pandemic many many many of our students have done numerous food drives for the front line workers at cape may regional hospital they volunteered and they've volunteered to churches at the local daycares they've also been volunteering at habitat for humanity and that's just to name a few of the leadership roles that they've taken on would have been very easy for them to just sit back right now and do nothing the national honor society all starts with the lighting of a candle
036and it's that simple candle that signifies a tradition of honor yet an art flame that passes along the pillars of leadership character scholarship service to a group of students with the passion to pursue them for the national honor society officers i don't even know what to say however the induction is more than just a candle it's weeks and even months of preparation long days sleepless nights here continuously we work tirelessly to put together a night that would be memorable under unusual circumstances for not only the members and the inductees for those watching that simple candle with this remarkable flame and with hours of hard work and dedication we hope this will be an especially memorable evening for everyone especially the students who deserve this recognition with that being said i'd like to thank senior excuse
037me i'm sorry senior national honor society members especially the officers members at large because i know i'd make them crazy and we would wouldn't be able to accomplish half the things that we do you all have a special place in my heart and thank you so much for all of your giving your valuable time your service your dedication to our school and our community as you demonstrate leadership character mainly while maintaining your academic grades that's the most important thing that should come first that's what this is all about you don't you do not just sit back and rely on your ability to study and work but you work tirelessly in your classes and this is not just enough for you you've taken an active role in your lives and you share the belief that a
038few can help to inspire the many your selfless leaders you give service to others without worrying about what you will receive in return and thank you for the continued leadership in these unprecedented times and you deserve a round of applause [Applause] so these guys are setting a very high standard of service for our future members i'd also like to take a moment just to thank the parents and the families for the privilege of working with these remarkable young people and for the encouragement throughout the year and the reason why your sons and daughters are sitting here tonight your efforts have paid off you can see by your children's success and i applaud your efforts and you also deserve a big round of applause and then finally to our new inductees i congratulate you and i
039look forward to working with you in the future there's many things that we missed this year and i know that many of the students were saying what are we doing we're not really doing anything but in these times it was very difficult but still you stepped up whether it was collecting plastic or whether it's been putting food out so that we could take it to the hospital you've been there you stopped in and i really do appreciate that and as i've said to you many times before you should be very proud of your accomplishments because if it was easy and i say to you all the time everyone would be in your seats tonight anything worthwhile takes hard work and dedication each new group seems to surpass the next you have very big shoes to
040fill however i know you're going to step up to the plate with the fullest of confidence so come see me again congratulations you make us all very very proud thank you again one and all and everyone have a wonderful evening congratulations guys job well done okay the students now if you'd like you may please uh file out of the gym go over to the mac uh please uh parents and guests don't forget that there is also uh refreshments like refreshments and some food out there as you leave and again thank you so much for coming and thank you for letting us be a part of your lives [Music] you