NHS welcomes new students in 58th annual Induction Ceremony

The auditorium at Washingtonville High School radiated pride and excitement on Thursday evening, as families, friends and faculty gathered to honor 89 students being inducted into the National Honor Society.

For more than half a century, the WHS chapter of NHS has honored students who exemplify the organization’s four pillars: character, scholarship, leadership and service. This year’s inductees continued that tradition, joining a community of Wizards committed to making a meaningful impact both in and beyond the classroom.

The ceremony began with a presentation of colors by the WHS JROTC Color Guard and a moving performance of The National Anthem by senior Sareena Kelly.

NHS President Gianna Spindler welcomed guests and extended gratitude to NHS advisors Erin Krogslund and Amy McNally. In her remarks, she emphasized that membership in the National Honor Society is more than an honor to list, but a responsibility to uplift the school and community.

“Through our events like Adopt a Family and Senior Citizen Prom, we all come together to give back and truly model our pillars,” Gianna said. “Every member plays a part, and as a society we create something meaningful. Tonight marks the beginning of your journey with us as we drip the candle, sign the scroll and take the pledge.”

The evening’s keynote address was delivered by WHS English teacher and varsity girls and boys tennis coach Matthew Anastasi, who joined the district in 2018.

“To tonight’s inductees, this is about you,” he said. “It’s an honor bestowed upon you that you have earned. As I look upon the faces of this group and think about your work ethic and your contributions to this community, you have earned this moment.”

Mr. Anastasi encouraged students to lead with compassion.

“As I think about character and leadership, I want to leave tonight’s inductees with a message of compassion and care,” he said. “One of my favorite book quotes of all time goes, ‘Be a little bit kinder than you have to.’ You are tremendously compassionate people. Continue to make this community a better place with your kindness. Work to become stewards of character for the next group of inductees, as our current NHS members have been for you.”

Gianna, along with NHS Secretary Isabella Meyer, Treasurer Joseph Mullan and Service Chair Megan Bushey, then took the stage to speak about each of the four pillars. With every description, one of four candles representing a pillar was lit.

Afterward, inductees were invited to the stage to sign a chapter scroll dating back to 1967. They then used one of the lit candles to drip wax into a communal bowl, symbolizing shared knowledge and unity within the society.

Each inductee was greeted with enthusiastic applause as they crossed the stage, marking a moment of pride for both the students and their supporters.

The ceremony concluded with the recitation of the NHS Oath.

Click here to view photos from the evening.

National Honor Society Inductees for 2025

Josiah Alicea
Alixandra Alisca
Giovanni Berchielli
Raven Borrebach
Cassidy Brazier
Isabella Briceño
Cynthia Brienza
Luke Broge
Craig Brown
Reilly Brown
Madison Bruno
Shane Calovic
Kenzie Cergol
Justin Clemente 
Valentina Cortez
Ivan Cuadrado
Maeve Cunniffe
Alexandra Davis 
Emelia DeCarvalho
Giada DeGiglio
Julia DeGiglio
Yosseline De Leon
Natalia Doekhi
Tiernan Dookhie
Gavin Dueck 
Victoria Dziedzic
Sara Elarfaoui
Hailee Espinosa
Charles Finnerty 
Rory Finnerty
Gerry Garcia
Valeria Garcia 
Grace Gelardi
Gianni Gennaro 
Kiera Gisler
Brian Goodwin
Justin Gonzales
Aqeeb Hamza
Olivia Hanratty
Jesse Hirsch
Maya Hopper
Chaewon (Emily) Hwang
Keturah Jordan
Mukisa Kemmelman
Audrey Kline 
Jake Kramer
Gianna Lambousis
Josiah Lazo
Owen Leonard 
Nicolette Mammoliti
Griffin Mann
Luke Mann
Emily Matovic
Sean Matovic
Owen Milmore
Emma Milmore
Ashley Moyer
Hudson Pagano
Esley Rauschenbach
Ezra Richland
Sierra Rivera
Lucas Robles
Krystian Rosa 
Elizabeth Roa
Veronika Roa
Payten Rossi 
Joseph Ryan
Wilson Sanchez Jr
Adriana Sanchez-Rodriguez 
Aubrey Siruchek
Owen Sliwinski
Evan Smith
Katie Sullivan
Nikita Suzuki
Matthew Tarace 
Brennan Tesseyman
Jasmine Thevenot
Rhea Trapnell
Sophie Veith
Julia Wittenberg