Gunston Welcomes 51 Students to the National Honor Society

The Gunston School is pleased to welcome 51 students to the National Honor Society. Joined by their families, students assembled in Gunston’s Field House for the ceremony. 

This year’s newly selected members include juniors Quinn Baughman, Michael Billings, Zoe Buzzelli, Benjamin Cook, Turner Day, Liam Dickey, Harrison Dunstan, Allie Fitzgerald, Edward Gillespie, Trevor Green, Colin Hallmark, Jessica Hammond, Caeden Harrison, Abigail Houseknecht, Samantha Jayne, Sophia Kent, Maren Kneeland, Lucas LaFleur, Ben Lutz, Madison Lutz, Josie Merton, Caitlin Myers, Tilghman Overton, Lilah Paddy, Matthew Periconi, Katherine Porter, Taylor Rainer, Joanna Riley, Ava Runz, Jan Serraviñals, Annabelle Sinatra, Jonah Smith, Isabella Taylor, and Jackson Wood. 

Newly inducted seniors include Nick Ceruolo, Thomas de los Reyes, Olivia Faff, Catherine Hansen, Garrett Lang, Calla McCluskey, Bates Nittle, Grace Anne Phillips, Miranda Pope, Nathan Porter, Aaron Sanderson, MacKenzie Smith, William Stuart, Finnegan Theeke, Brielle Tyler, Autumn Watson, and Linze (Alfred) Zhao.

Current NHS officers include the following seniors: President Lane Parkhurst, Vice President Kelby Booth, Secretary Olivia Amygdalos, Service Coordinator Julia Buchanan, Parliamentarian Angelina Lin and Communications Zack Adams. 

This year’s guest speaker was ​​Judith Warfield Price, president of the Centreville Rotary Club who is also a Paul Harris Fellow for her support of the international Rotary Foundation. A native of the Eastern Shore, Judy graduated from Saints Peter & Paul High School in Easton, received her B.A in political science from Western Maryland (now McDaniel) College, and, subsequently, her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland. In addition to various roles throughout her career, she also served as the Executive Director of the Waterfowl Festival, an Eastern Shore non-profit benefiting wildlife conservation. She served in that position from the Festival’s 26th year through its 43rd year and had the honor of being chosen to serve on the panel of judges for the 2009 Federal Duck Stamp Contest. Price recently retired from The Aspen Institute, Inc., where she has worked since 2014.

Mrs. Price spoke to the students about being open to taking appropriate professional risks and adapting to change; Looking beyond ourselves and responding to the needs of others locally, nationally, and globally; and, enjoying the journey along the way.

Each fall, membership in NHS is offered to those students who meet the required standards put forth by the national office in four areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. For the scholarship criterion, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of 88 (B+) or higher. 

Students who meet this criterion are invited to submit a comprehensive resume that outlines their activities, achievements, leadership, and service. To evaluate a candidate on the national criterion of character, a student’s school records are reviewed, and each candidate selects four members of the faculty to provide their professional reflections on the candidate’s citizenship, leadership, activities, and personal conduct.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information. 

(Front Row) Taylor Rainer ’24 (Annapolis), Annabelle Sinatra ’24 (Chestertown), Josie Merton ’24 (Centreville)

(Second row) Jan Serravinals Teixido ’24 (Barcelona/Centreville), Olivia Faff ’23 (Easton), Madison Lutz ’24 (Church Hill), Samantha Jayne ’24 (Worton), Joanna Riley ’24 (St. Michaels), Isabella Taylor ’24 (Easton), Autumn Watson ’23 (Centreville), Jessica Hammond ’24 (Trappe), Zoe Buzzelli ’24 (Grasonville) 

(Third Row) Lilah Paddy ’24 (Centreville), Sophia Kent ’24 (Millington), Abigail Houseknecht ’24 (Centreville), MacKenzie Smith ’23 (Stevensville), Calla McCluskey ’23 (Centreville), Miranda Pope ’23 (Port Tobacco), Brielle Tyler ’23 (Denton), Ava Runz ’24 (Easton), Allie Fitzgerald ’24 (Stevensville), Maren Kneeland ’24 (Stevensville)

(Fourth Row) William Stuart ’23 (Oxford), Turner Day ’24 (Severna Park), Katherine Porter ’24 (Easton), Caitlin Myers ’24 (Centreville), Tilghman Overton ’24 (Chestertown), Colin Hallmark ’24 (Arnold), Catherine Hansen ’23 (Cambridge), Benjamin Cook ’23 (Easton), Liam Dickey ’24 (Arnold) 

(Fifth Row) Finnegan Theeke ’23 (Easton), Trevor Green ’24 (Oxford), Edward Gillespie ’24 (Worton), Jonah Smith ’24 (Stevensville), Matthew Periconi ’24 (Easton), Jackson Wood ’24 (Easton), Bates Nittle ’23 (Easton), Aaron Sanderson ’23 (Annapolis) 

(Sixth Row) Linze Zhao ’23 (Ridgely), Caeden Harrison ’24 (Tilghman), Thomas de los Reyes ’23 (Annapolis), Nicasio Ceruolo ’23 (Annapolis), Quinn Baughman ’24 (Worton), Michael Billings ’24 (Easton), Harrison Dunstan ’24 (St. Michaels), Garrett Lang ’23 (Trappe)

(Standing) From left, Judy Price, John Lewis, Christie Grabis and Mike Kaylor. 

(Not Pictured) Lucas LaFleur ’24 (Chestertown), Ben Lutz ’24 (Annapolis), Grace Anne Phillips ’23 (Stevensville), Nathan Porter ’23 (Chestertown)