Ridgefield High School has inducted new members into National Honor Society

On September 23, Ridgefield High School inducted 148 outstanding seniors into the National Honor Society (NHS). Begun in 1921, NHS is a national organization recognizing high school students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

Throughout the year, these students will organize and administer American Red Cross blood drives and other community initiatives, homework clubs at our elementary schools, a district-wide fifth grade science program, RHS' Peer Tutoring Program, and much more.  However, these students have already made a mark on our town with their volunteer efforts at the Soccer Club of Ridgefield's Holland League, the Boys and Girls Club of Ridgefield, Founders Hall, the Ridgefield Emergency Preparedness Unit and other local charities and organizations.

At RHS' induction, each of the four officers, elected by the membership, spoke about one of the pillars. Avesh Krishna, the newly-elected, Tutoring Chair, spoke on scholarship.  Here are his words:

            "Good morning and congratulations on being inducted into Ridgefield’s National Honor Society. I am Avesh Krishna and will discuss the second pillar of NHS: scholarship. Unlike the other pillars, scholarship is not determined by how one interacts with others or external attributes but rather by one's approach to learning. We have grown up hearing phrases such as a born-leader and a natural-athlete but never a born-scholar. One is not born a scholar, one chooses to become one by approaching learning with genuine interest and passion.

            "Scholarship is not the process of passing tests, getting into college and then finding a job. Scholarship is about kindling a deep-set interest in learning for the purpose of increasing ones knowledge. Continually cultivating an educated and cultured mind ensures one will never stray from a quest of lifelong scholarship. Through all the classes at Ridgefield High School you have succeeded in, you have all demonstrated qualities of a scholar and by excelling academically now, you have already broken ground to build the mind of a scholar.

            "The scholar persists through the inevitable challenges and does not falter. In contemporary times, one has unlimited access to content with the internet but one must make the conscious decision to use all this content for growth not distraction. The distractions may seem tempting when the material becomes difficult and frustrating but when the scholar faces the decision of watching another episode on Netflix or studying a chapter of biology, he chooses the option that not only lets him pass the next day’s test but the one that also gives him permanent knowledge for the future.

            "As a scholar, you will not ask your teacher “When will we ever use this” but instead, you will seek to apply your knowledge every chance you get. By embarking on a path of scholarship, it is your responsibility to find uses for the knowledge you have acquired and this knowledge will be infinitely useful in any endeavor. Scholarship should never be construed as a step on the path to success but rather success is the end-result of scholarship. As Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Congratulations to all the students newly-inducted into NHS!  We look forward to seeing your efforts in our community and beyond.