Eleven students were inducted into the Panther Valley Chapter of the National Honor Society during an evening candlelight ceremony in the school auditorium recently.

The new members were selected based on meeting the highest standards of scholarship, service, leadership and character.

The new members are:

Juniors: Emma Dacey, Myla Krapf, Brenna McAndrew, Marlena Smith and Natalie Vermillion.

Seniors: Tyler Black, Brooklyn Knoblauch, Jade Lutz, Mercedes Reynolds, Kacy Steber, and Athea Williams.

They join current NHS senior members Lucy Greco, Andrew Kokinda, Kaidence Krapf, Eli Maynard, Maddison Maynard, Riley McArdle, Merissa Miller, Courtney Rickert, Hilary Shreffler, and Mikayla Yuricheck.

This year, Eli Maynard serves as the chapter’s president. Other officers are Courtney Rickert, vice president; Merissa Miller, secretary, and Mikayla Yuricheck, treasurer.

The four pillars of the National Honor Society were explained by Yuricheck (scholarship), Miller (service), Lucy Greco (leadership) and Rickert (character).

The candle of eternal knowledge was lit by the chapter president.

“We are very proud to recognize these outstanding members of our student body. National Honor Society members are chosen for and then expected to continue their exemplary contributions to their school and their community,” said Chrisanne Powell, Panther Valley’s Chapter NHS adviser. “The Panther Valley Chapter has been active since 1976. Each year, the chapter sponsors a wide range of service projects in our school district as well as our communities.”

National Honor Society students perform numerous duties in the school district and consistently volunteer at the Second Harvest Food Pantry, and act as Santa’s Helpers for both the PVIS’s and the PVES’s Santa Shoppe. They participate in the elementary and intermediate schools’ Field Day festivities at the end of the school year as well as assist at the annual Carbon County Senior Games. The PV Chapter regularly lends a helping hand in many of the American Cancer Society fundraising activities, such as Daffodil Days. volunteering in support of local projects, such as Plant Fest and Music in the Park events and will again sponsor a community Christmas tree in Kennedy Park.

Also speaking at the induction ceremony was high school principal Patricia Ebbert.