Stockbridge NHS students earn national community service awards

National Honor Society members and UNA-USA/InnerView award winners are (from left): Olivia Fletcher, Audrey Austin, Brooklyn Rochow, Kaitelyn Walker, Peter Johnson and Carissa Heinzman. Not pictured: Keshava Demerath-Shanti, Brianna Hill and Rylee Tolson. Photo credit: Courtney Fletcher

by Judy Brune

Stockbridge High School has announced that nine National Honor Society (NHS) students are being recognized by the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) and InnerView in the fourth annual National Community Service Awards. This program is designed to connect student community service activities and commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to positively impact our communities. Additionally, the Kroger Co. presented the second annual Zero Hero Awards to students for taking action to help create communities free of hunger and waste.

This community service award program recognizes a range of student achievement: Merit for 20 hours, Honor for 40 hours, and Ambassador for 100 hours of service during the current school year. There is special recognition for a focus on Zero Hunger and Zero Waste.

Students receiving Merit awards are Audrey Austin, Keshava Demerath-Shanti, Olivia Fletcher, Carissa Heinzman, Brianna Hill, Peter Johnson, Brooklyn Rochow, Rylee Tolson and Kaitelyn Walker. Audrey Austin and Peter Johnson also earned Zero Hero awards.

“These are the first Stockbridge High students to earn awards from UNA-USA and InnerView, and I am so proud of these students and all of the hard work they have done,” said NHS adviser Courtney Fletcher. 

The students were involved in numerous efforts that positively impacted our schools and community.

“Despite the pandemic, and this being my first year as the NHS adviser, we have had a very successful year,” said Fletcher. “We collected donations for the Stockbridge Outreach, managed recycling in the school office and cafeteria, and cleaned up our local community roads, beaches and parks, among other things.”

A key artifact students gain through the award program is the development of a digital service resume for use in job and college applications to demonstrate personal commitment, 21st century skills, and key areas of interest.  

“We are thrilled that these students will be entering the workforce with meaningful community engagement skills and socially aware experiences,” said Rachel Bowen Pittman, UNA-USA executive director. “We are encouraged that educators are including community service and cultural engagement in the educational experience of their students.”