The Gunston School is pleased to welcome 39 students to the National Honor Society (NHS). Joined by their families, students assembled in Gunston’s Field House for the ceremony.
This year’s newly selected members include Alix Allison, Lily Brantner, Thomas Callahan, Allison Davis, Aiden Dunlap, Lennox Franks, Elena Fraser, Brayden Hamm, Grace Hanlon, Tyler Hanson, Trevor Janssen, Robert (R.P.) Johnson, Samantha (Sam) Keith, Phoebe Kelly, Logan Kille, Allison Lutz, Victoria MacGlashan, V McCluskey, Isla McCollum, Justin McCubbin, Robert (Ethan) McWilliams, Kazys Morris, Louise Mulock, Victoria (Tori) Nessly, Josh Nuessle, Benta Owino, Margaret Porciello, Margaret Randolph, Evelyn Russ, Alivia Runz, Katherine Sadler, Emma Sharp, Grace Shepherd, Jackson Showalter, Zachary Steinberg, Drew Tolley, Mia Walker, Aidan Watson, and Evan Zottarelli.
This year’s speaker was Mr. Jaelon Moaney, Senior Manager of Federal Relations at the American Institute of Architects (AIA). An Easton High School alum, Mr. Moaney earned his B.A. in Political Science, Leadership Studies, African Studies, and Environmental Studies from the prominent Williams College in Massachusetts. In addition to being a superb student, he was a 4-year letter winner as a member of their football team.
He is currently the Manager of Federal Relations at the American Institute of Architects, supporting their lobbying efforts before Congress and the Administration. Before joining them in 2021, he worked for almost three years in the U.S. Senate serving Marylanders both on Capitol Hill and across the state.
Statewide, he is an External Advisory Board member for the Maryland Sea Grant program and was recently appointed by Gov. Wes Moore to represent Talbot County on the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture. Locally and regionally, Mr. Moaney is the co-founder and director of an organization that partners with local schools and nonprofits to provide literacy opportunities. He is also an inaugural member of the Water’s Edge Museum Advisory Board in Oxford and on the board of the Talbot County Public Schools Educational Foundation.
Current NHS officers include the following seniors: President Allie Fitzgerald, Vice President Caitlin Myers, Secretary Bella Taylor, Service Coordinator Anna Szwaja, Parliamentarian Jan Serraviñals, and Communications Officer Ben Cook.
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.