NSHSS Scholar’s Day D.C. 2019
The Lincoln Memorial, the White House, the Washington Monument and Scholar’s Day D.C. all share one thing in common: they’re all a must see when you’re in D.C.! While you can see the monuments year-round, Scholar’s Day D.C. only comes around once a year, and it’s kind of a big deal. NSHSS invites scholars, educators and parents to D.C. every year for our biggest event of the year. This two-day event includes inspiring speakers, learning and networking opportunities, and so much more!
NSHSS welcomed more than 1,500 members and their families, educators, college and university professionals, and corporate, government and non-profit partners from 16 countries, including the U.S., Sweden, the U.K., Mexico, Colombia, Canada, and India. After the opening ceremony, scholars presented their passion projects. These reflected the NSHSS mission of world betterment, as well as STEM and innovation projects. After the Student Exhibition, members and their families got to explore the NSHSS popup store.
The opening ceremony began with inspiring speeches from James Lewis, President and cofounder of NSHSS, and a welcome video from Claes Nobel, senior member of the Nobel Prize family and cofounder of NSHSS. Next, attendees got to talk with a panel of HR, talent, and diversity and inclusion professionals from varying industries. Keynote speaker and COO of ALSAC, Robert Machen, closed out the ceremony. After the welcome ceremony, members were invited to a party to get to know fellow members, relax, take selfies, enjoy snacks and battle it out in a lip-sync battle!
A big perk NSHSS members enjoy is the ability to network with not only each other, but with colleges, universities and corporations, too. The College & Career Fair allowed members to do precisely this with national and international schools and businesses. Scholars also attended breakout sessions throughout the day to learn more about ACT and SAT prep, college admissions and admissions essays, opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI), scholarships, taking a gap year, pre-med, and the St. Jude Leadership Society spoke about how high school students can change the world.
Members were excited to attend a general session with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) before participating in mentor roundtables. Finally, members were recognized in a formal ceremony where they received their NSHSS medallions. Scholarship winners, Educators of Distinction, and the Educator of the Year were also recognized for their work in academics. Our Educator of the Year, Sofia Gonzalez, gave an incredible speech that inspired so many of our attendees that she received a standing ovation!
We couldn’t have asked for a better event! Thank you to all who attended and the NSHSS Fellows executive board. Welcome to the NSHSS family. We know you’ll all do big things and we’re here to support you in all your academic and professional endeavors. We’d also like to thank our presenting sponsor, Marathon Petroleum Company, and our collaborating partners, the Central Intelligence Agency and EF Gap Year.