RUMFORD — Seventeen Mountain Valley High School students were recognized for exhibiting outstanding scholarship, leadership, service and character and earned a nomination to the MVHS chapter of National Honor Society. They learned of their selection during a recent school-wide assembly.

As the students entered Muskie Auditorium, the MVHS band ensemble played. The assembly began with the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem sung a cappella by Eliza Buccina, Marina DeRoche, Chelsea DeRoehn, Lexi Fryover, Morgan Gordon, Adelle Oswald and Leah Perry.

Garrett Carver, president, and Andrew Boucher, vice president, thanked the faculty council for their work in nominating the new members. They introduced chapter officers and summarized the service projects, including a food drive for local food pantry, gift baskets for local service men and women on Make a Difference Day, teacher appreciation events and Stop Hunger Now fundraiser for the state service project.

Carver, who serves as secretary at the state level, highlighted the recent state convention. “This year’s state convention theme was ‘Character: the Great Climb.’ The keynote presentation, Rachel’s Challenge, told the inspiring and powerful story of a victim of the Columbine High School shootings. Our state service project was the Stop Hunger Now campaign. Remarkably, the chapters across the state raised more than $4,100 and exceeded our goal of packaging 10,000 meals. This year, our chapter was excited to be running another candidate for election to state office.”

Newly elected Maine NHS Vice President Rachel Averill said, “What some would describe as qualities in a leader is someone who shows initiative – someone who can step in and make decisions when decisions need to be made.”

The NHS chapter recognized the following staff members for their service to the chapter: Matt Gilbert, Jeff Bailey, Debra Buotte, Craig Dilman, Mary Gamble, Tami Jamison, Peggy LaPointe, Victoria Monsalve, Donna Peare, Michael Prescott and Lorraine Tanguay. Each received a carnation.

Next, faculty and staff members who had become NHS members during their high school careers joined the current NHS students on the stage.

Victoria Giberson, Nate Fitzpatrick and Renee Knox took turns reading “I Try to Remember.” The reading describes how it is okay to make mistakes, not to control things and handle it when things go wrong.

Current NHS students reviewed each of the four characteristics of an NHS member. Lexi Fryover discussed scholarship, Jonathan Petrie explained service, Adriana Gorham talked about character and Carver concluded with leadership.

Then the tapping began.

A current member walked out into the audience and announced the name of a nominee. The nominee was escorted to the stage and draped with an NHS sash.

The induction ceremony was planned for early in May.

The newly tapped members include sophomores Corbin Arsenault, Nathan Billings, Nicholas Billings, Carita DeTellis, Caleb Gauvin, Adelle Oswald and Abby Parent. The juniors are Elizabeth Adley, Anthony Boucher, Katherine Collette, Travis Ford, Morgan Gordon, Shannon Laubauskas, Katherine Mills, Kayla Pingree, Kaitlin Virgin and Brittany Wakefield.