Tables draped with emblems and lined with cords, certificates and graduation collars mark the center stage of the John Thomas Performing Arts Center.
On March 30, 2026, National Honor Society (NHS) and Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Honor Society hosted their annual induction ceremonies. The combined ceremonies mark the connection between the two organizations’ missions to lead, collaborate and serve.
“There are four pillars to the NHS, scholarship, service, leadership and character,” NHS co-adviser Anita Badgett said. “As a whole, between Mrs. Diaz, Mrs. Mooneyham and I, we all hope that the students see the importance of academics and leadership and being a strong representative of what academics and leadership can do for the community.”
Both organizations held the induction ceremony to celebrate the students accepted and their hard work in academics and service to others.
“This year’s ceremony is combined with National Honor Society[‘s] to make the event more efficient and meaningful, since many students are involved in multiple honor organizations,” Mu Alpha Theta adviser Cathryn Diaz said. “Combining ceremonies allows families and students to celebrate all [of their] achievements at once while creating a more unified and impactful experience.”
Planning this event came with the effort of collaborating with the other advisers to pick the perfect date and location.
“As the adviser, challenges include organizing service opportunities, tracking requirements, communicating with students and planning events like inductions,” Diaz said. “It also takes effort to keep students engaged and maintain high standards while balancing everyone’s busy schedules.”
During a student’s sophomore year, the advisers send invitations to join NHS if a student has met certain requirements. Students must fill out an application that lists their leadership and service opportunities and submit two letters of recommendation from teachers on campus.
“The first requirement [was] meeting the 143 points or higher weighted cumulative GPA, but anybody can do that,” NHS adviser Holly Mooneyham said. “Because we hardly know these students, we have to see [their] application process and what [they] put on [their] resume to formulate an idea of a well-rounded person [and] not just an academic student.”
Mu Alpha Theta and NHS strive to keep their members engaged in serving their community through projects and hosting events.
“Moving forward, the goal is to continue growing the club, increase participation in competitions and service projects and create more opportunities for students to collaborate and support one another,” Diaz said. “I also hope to strengthen the sense of community and make Mu Alpha Theta something students are excited to be part of.”
During the ceremony, many seniors received graduation collars from NHS. Some also received cords from Mu Alpha Theta. Many of these seniors have participated in these organizations since their sophomore year and utilize their years of experience when figuring out the best ways to serve.
“I’ve influenced [the seniors by] hopefully, being a good role model, asking them to be good leaders on the campus and serving and being that model student for others,” Mooneyham said. “I hope that they’re able to be fully successful in whatever they choose to do, and I’m able to follow them on their career path to see the kind of wonderful people they turn out to be.”
