Crispell eighth-grade student Leah Meberg was named one of 500 recipients nationwide of the National Junior Honor Society Outstanding Achievement Award. Leah will receive a $500 scholarship.
Crispell National Junior Honor Society advisors Shannon Meland and Stephen Charchan nominated Leah and 11 other students from Crispell for this honor. It’s the first time they’ve participated in the Outstanding Achievement Award.
“It was a good learning experience for them,” said Ms. Meland. “This is what they will have to do in high school when applying for scholarships.”
Thousands of applicants were judged on the five pillars of the NJHS – scholarship, service, citizenship, leadership, and character.
Once nominated, the students had to do the rest, which Ms. Meland said was a lot of the work!
“I was really happy I applied,” said Leah. “I’m happy my work paid off.”
Leah had to list her qualifications for service, citizenship and leadership. She was required to get a letter of recommendation attesting to her character and submit her grades to cover the scholarship portion. In addition, Leah wrote a required essay.
Ms. Meland can’t say enough about Leah, noting that Leah is one of six children in her family. “All of these kids are really amazing,” she said.
“Leah is involved in so many activities. She is a leader with incredible character,” said Ms. Meland. “She is willing to go above and beyond. And she is kind. She is the whole package.”
Leah is vice president of the NJHS at Crispell. She was captain of her modified soccer team, a role she savored. “I love to help my team. We supported each other all season,” she said.
She is also a volunteer at a local food bank as well as with the Students Making A Difference (SMAD) club at Crispell, where she is also an officer. “I love SMAD! We do some really great projects.” Leah was one of the student members of SMAD who placed American flags on veterans’ graves just before Memorial Day. She also came up with the idea of Plastic for Puppies, where they gather recyclables, cash them in and donate the money to local animal shelters.
“We are so proud of her,” said Ms. Meland. “She is just an outstanding young lady.”
As Leah looks toward Pine Bush High School, she said she is looking forward to continuing her involvement there.
“I’m excited for NHS and I want to be involved in sports and clubs,” she said. “I like doing what I can to help others.”