Important Dates for Members Mark these dates on your calendar to make the most of your NSHSS membership. June 1 (deadline extended) "Scholar's Journal" summer edition article submission deadline: Guidelines August 1 Presidential Classroom/NSHSS Academic Scholarship Deadline: Application October 1 Fall 2004 - Submit online application for NSHSS scholarships in the member section of the website. Student Council applications for 2004-05 are now being reviewed. New council members will be announced in the summer "Scholar's Journal." NSHSS Advisory Board members and educational partners in the Russell Senate Office Building on May 1. On May 1st, 2004, NSHSS hosted Scholar's Day in the U.S Senate Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Office Building honoring our members and scholarship winners. Students and their families, our partners, and advisory board members gathered from around the country to recognize outstanding students and celebrate academic excellence. Members came from as far away as Alaska and listened to the inspiring words of Advisory Board Chair and founder Claes Nobel. We also heard from NSHSS member Kara Skarda, who is a U.S. House Page and member Raelee Toye, the reigning Teen Miss Global America. Click here to view program and check out our photo gallery from the event. Check out an article from our "Scholar's Journal" last summer offering some smart ways to spend the summer before college. These tips come from a mother and daughter who have been there: "Senior year at high school can be a busy one for families preparing to send a child off to college. It can bring emotional challenges too. It is a year that passes quickly for the student and, before one knows it, the family is seated at the high school graduation ceremony! Soon after parents have wiped away their tears from graduation, summer hits with all the responsibilities for preparation for college. Rest assured, for most families, the first off-to-college summer will be busier than other summers before it! " Click here for more. We are excited to roll out a new program designed to help our members connect with each other. Features for members only include: Topical Bulletin Boards - a forum for ongoing discussions among members Instant Chat - talk in real time with other members online Whether you are looking for someone attending the same college, or with the same career interests, or just want to chat and make new friends around the world, visit the Member Connection Section. Mr. Nobel is challenging NSHSS members to voice their opinions on important issues in our new program called Scholar's Think Tank - The Voice of Youth. This program will focus on your fears, dislikes, concerns, suggestions, solutions, and hopes for world betterment. Currently we are surveying members on issues important to young people to put this program into place. We asked members to identify the three most important issues facing the U.S. President in the coming months. Overwhelmingly, NSHSS members selected: The economy The war in Iraq Education Clearly our members are concerned about financing their futures as they embark on adulthood. One of the largest concerns is of course, the rising costs of college tuition. Scholarship providers are debating the pros and cons of many state-funded scholarship programs that offer tuition breaks that are merit-based without regard to financial need. There are those who believe that scholarships without a financial need requirement or family income cap prevent many lower-income students from enjoying the benefits of higher education. On the other hand, many argue that merit should be rewarded without regard to family income. What do you think? TAKE OUR SURVEY: Should states require a financial need component for publicly funded college tuition grants and scholarships? Claes Nobel Academic Scholarship Anna Rasulova Tashkent International School Tashkent, Uzbekistan Anna is an outstanding international student from Central Asia who considers her native country to be "Planet Earth." Claes Nobel Academic Scholarship Katherine Van Schaik Spring Valley High School Columbia, South Carolina Katie is a "leader among leaders who works simply for the sake of learning." Robert P. Sheppard Leadership Award Folasade Odeniyi William W. Bodine High School Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Folasade is the first recipient of a new scholarship for NSHSS members established in honor of our late colleague Robert Sheppard. She writes that "I feel that as a citizen of the world that it is my responsibility to help those who can't help themselves, to speak out for those, whose voices have been ignored." National Scholar Awards: Dana Ataya Magnificat High School Bay Village, Ohio "Everything begins with a dream. I am ready to live mine." Elizabeth Belanfante Mount Vernon High School Mount Vernon, New York "Devoting my time to helping children is one of the greatest gifts I could ever give to my community and to myself." Ronald Berkowsky Winslow Senior High School Sicklerville, New Jersey "All I wish for my future is that I am somehow blessed with the ability and courage to touch the life of one neighbor, one friend." Kristi Hector Cedar Grove High School Decatur, Georgia "My dream is to work with a team of pharmacists who test new drugs and minimize major side effects." Lenora Higginbotham Pickering High School Leesville, Louisiana "Whatever I decide to do in life, it will definitely involve keeping dreams alive." Lauren Lessor Home school Smiley, Texas "Scientific advances are obviously not the only way to make a difference in the world. Often the effect a person has on the lives of individuals is every bit as important as what they might do on a grander scale." Steve Nguyen Mt. Pleasant High School San Jose, California "It feels great to accomplish something of use to the people around me." Ian Tapu Kahuku High School Hauula, Hawaii "My unique Polynesian-American synergy has embedded within me the fundamental skills for lifelong learning and success - dedication, commitment to service, and hard work." Jeremy Velasquez Fort Stockton High School Fort Stockton, Texas "There are no such things as obstacles, but rather, challenges." Anthony Zampella St. Joseph’s High School Plainfield, New Jersey "In the end, at our final judgment, we will not be recognized for the amount of money we have earned or the fancy lifestyle we live, but the perseverance we have shown and the service we have done." Claes Nobel School of Distinction Award: Ocean Lakes High School Virginia Beach, Virginia www.oceanlakeshs.vbcps.k12.va.us Congratulations to Ocean Lakes High School of Virginia Beach, Virginia, on being selected for the Claes Nobel School of Distinction Award for May 2004. Ocean Lakes was nominated by member Gabrielle Strickland for its dedication to fulfilling its stated mission: "The mission of Ocean Lakes High School, in partnership with family and community, is to provide a safe, challenging, and innovative learning environment in which all individuals are encouraged and empowered to achieve their potential as contributing citizens of society." Gabrielle describes her school, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, as a "powerhouse" that includes a rigorous Math and Science Academy in addition to its core curriculum. Ocean Lakes also offers a number of innovative courses as Anatomy and Sports Medicine, Leadership Skills Development, and Data Analysis. Its students have received numerous sportsmanship and citizenship awards. Gabrielle quotes Ocean Lakes Principal Jerry Deviney saying, "It's not the building that makes the school, it's the people in it." NSHSS agrees and is happy to recognize the students, staff, and community that make Ocean Lakes High School a school of distinction. You can nominate your school for consideration by e-mailing Dr. Susan Thurman at susan.thurman@nshss.org with an explanation of why your school deserves this recognition. Be sure to include your name and contact information, the school's name and city, and a link to the school's website. We will feature our next selected school in September. Visit the NSHSS Scholar's Store featuring great recognition items, such as honor cords and lapel pins, available only to members. Our newest recognition item is the honor medallion, which displays the Society crest. Click here to shop or log into the Member Section of the website. The photo above is a small model of the platform. Eric Baker Southeast High School Specialty School of Technology, Oklahoma City NSHSS member Eric Baker, of Norman, Oklahoma, is a young man with a mission - he has worked for four years on an invention to help the handicapped enjoy the outdoors. The Baker Airchair 2004 is an alternative recreational vehicle for those who are physically challenged. The Airchair is a manifold multi-terrain hover platform designed to hold a wheelchair. Once the wheelchair is in place, it becomes an airchair. The model is a round structure with a flat platform which holds a person sitting directly on the platform or in a wheelchair. Eric's project won the 2004 Best in Fair at the Regional Science and Engineering Fair in Oklahoma City, and he has been chosen to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Portland, Oregon this month. Congratulations to Eric! Eric was featured in our October Member Showcase.