NHS Remarks: Strive towards your BEST self; not a perfect self

Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to recognize Mrs. Cefaloni who is retiring this year and has been a true model of what it means to be a part of the National Honor Society organization. She exemplifies exceptional good character, service, scholarship, and leadership. Can we please give her a moment of recognition and gratitude for all that she has done for the Putnam Valley Chapter of NHS?`

Now let me start with congratulations to all of the NHS inductees on this remarkable achievement! Each of you has excelled in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service and character and we are all incredibly proud of you, especially your parents who I know are beaming with pride to see you recognized for all that you have accomplished.

As I scrolled through the requirements for National Honor Society, I saw phrases such as:

Students who have a desire to do the right thing,

Students who have no disciplinary infractions…

Students who have morality and ethics.

Students with an outstanding grade point average.

These are certainly weighty requirements!

These standards were set back in 1921 during a time when all students did not even receive a High School education and high school principals wanted to promote “higher education” which in those days was high school.

Tonight, we are all very impressed that you have met these standards.But, let’s not forget that life has changed a lot in the past one hundred years since these requirements were written. Teenagers face vastly different pressures today than one hundred years ago. Life is definitely faster and more competitive.

As a National Honor Society member there are considerable expectations for you to maintain your credibility academically and behaviorally. However, I am here to remind you that you are HUMAN and you are at the beginning of a life-long journey of self-discovery. Mistakes will happen, missteps will be made. That is the nature of life. That is how you truly learn. Not one of you should be expected to be perfect just because you are a member of the National Honor Society.

Sometimes accolades like tonight lead us to believe that failure is not an option. I am here to tell you that is not the case! Let this significant accolade help you to stay grounded and remind you of the hard work and efforts that it took to get here.  Let it be a reminder of the great things that you can do. However, please don’t let the National Honor Society standards cause you to believe that blunders are not an option. No one is perfect, not myself, not Dr. Wills, your teachers or your parents. What’s important is that you keep trying to do your best, help others to do their best and reach out for support when challenges seem too great.

As you move forward from tonight’s celebration, keep striving toward your best self, but not a perfect self. Allow yourself the room to grow and learn and feel confident that along the way we will all be here to support you, to applaud you and to help you make the difference in the world that you want to make.

Congratulations again on this wonderful recognition!