Scholar's Day 2011

NSHSS members, families, educators, and organizational partners from across the country and abroad gathered on July 29 at The Georgetown University Conference Center in Washington, D.C., to celebrate and recognize excellence during our 8th annual Scholar's Day program. Mr. Nobel presented scholarships, recognized honored educators, and met with students and parents following the program for photographs. Nearly 1200 student members and their families began this memorable day by visiting the NSHSS College Fair featuring representatives from top universities who also attended the afternoon Scholar's Day program in order to help celebrate and meet our students.

Scholarship recipients in attendance included Kie Fujii, Devin Pesek, Alexander Emmons, Wendi Oppenheim, Benjamin Walker, Ehsan Izadmehr, George Knaysi, Eban Tassis, Andrew McNair, Brandon Williams, Elizabeth Blanchette who graced the audience with a lovely musical performance during the program and Sarah Cronk who is the most recent winner of the VH1 Do Something! Award.

Among the featured speakers at the event were Parke Muth, Associated Dean of Admission for the University of Virginia and Mercedes Mottek, International Chair of NSHSS Parent’s Council. The scholars also heard from partners K12, Envision EMI, Semester at Sea and were able to participate in a raffle sponsored by our partner Abercrombie & Fitch. During the program, local Educators of Distinction, nominated by students, were recognized as well.

Student member Joshua Chua, of Bocconi University in Italy, spoke on his experiences studying and traveling abroad followed by the member induction pledge led by Student Council members Austin and Tyler Burdick. Following the program, families mingled  and met with Mr. Nobel and the other dignitaries attending.

A congratulatory address was delivered to the scholars by Claes Nobel. “These students have already reached great heights by consistently demonstrating academic strength and community leadership, and we are proud to show our pride and support with our current round of scholarship awards,” said Mr. Nobel. “What they are doing in their schools and in their hometowns are truly admirable, and each of them highlights the hope and the confidence we all should have in our young people.”

Prior to the program, NSHSS held a members-only college fair. Participating universities and partners included Bocconi University, Envision EMI, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Griffith University, Indiana University, Johns Hopkins University, K12, Louisiana State University, National Dance Association, Pennsylvania State University, QS World University Rankings, Semester at Sea, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Iowa, the University of Maryland, the University of Melbourne, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Virginia, and Virginia State University.

NSHSS would like to congratulate all of those who participated in this celebratory event. Mr. Nobel is confident that the group of students he met in Washington, D.C., will become our next generation of leaders who will make wise decisions to promote understanding throughout the world.