Spanish Honor Society Induction
Students being inducted
April 30, 2019
On April 5th, 2019 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM the Spanish Honor Society got twelve new members during the Spanish Honor Society induction ceremony. These new members are Hannah Dellis, Kristen Hamilton, Sabrina Hood, Allison Jackson, Nathan Mathis, Carlie McCorkle, Ana Maria Reyes-Pizano, Hayle Singleton, Shiloh St. Clair, Alexis Thornton, Zain Waseem, and Ada Williams. Last year these nine students were inducted into the Spanish Honor Society: Caroline Abney, Donna Cornejo-Reyes, Brooke Dellis, Kayla Hutcherson, Madelynn Judd, Sadie Medckie, Brindley Richey, Claire Sentell, and Amanda Taft. The Spanish Honor Society is an honor society for high school students enrolled in Spanish or Portuguese that is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. In 1953 it was formally organized as the Spanish National Honor Society, and in 1959 it was changed to Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica. Jeannettelen Santillan, Spanish teacher, and a sponsor of the Spanish Honor Society said, “The mission of the Spanish Honor Society is to recognize high school achievement in Spanish and Portuguese, and to promote interest in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian studies.”
This society is one that students can attempt to be a part of. Santillan said, “It looks good on college and scholarship applications. Especially if the major they would like to acquire is a B.A. or has to do with the medical field.” It is also something few students strive to be a part of, so it sets the academic achievers in a foreign language apart. For students to be able to join the Spanish Honor Society they must maintain a minimum of 3.5 GPA (which is equivalent to an 85 average) in their previous Spanish class and a 90 in their current Spanish class (un-weighted). Santillan said, “If they take an AP Spanish course, a 90 for that course is also a requirement. The student must have a minimum of a 3.5 overall GPA verified by the Guidance Office/Transcripts, and a continued study of Spanish up to and including both semesters of Spanish 3.”
As a sponsor of the Spanish Honor Society, Santillan puts in a lot of time and effort. Santillan said, “As a sponsor, I have to pull academic records, keep archives, and make sure students who are a part of the Spanish Honor Society follow all of the academic and disciplinary requirements of it.” She also puts the applications together and sets up their induction ceremony. At the end of the year, usually during the summer, Santillan makes a list of the students who have officially made it into the Spanish Honor Society and sends letters of regret to those that didn’t make the requirements. Santillan said, “I also have to keep up with their service hours, but Mrs. Ensley has been kind in helping with that for last year.”
As a part of the Spanish Honor Society, students have rules they must follow in order to keep their memberships, and are held to a certain standard. For example, they must keep their grades up. Santillan said, “If they choose to take Spanish 3 or an AP Spanish course they must maintain a 90(A). If they do not then they are sent a letter of regret and their name is taken off of the roster.” By taking Spanish 3 Santillan said, “They will be able to write full paragraphs of Spanish with minimal error and will have covered the rest of the grammatical concepts they will see within the first two Spanish classes in a college setting. They should also be able to read an essay and answer comprehension questions about it.” Discipline wise, they must maintain an excellent discipline record. Getting written up for being disrespectful or for disobeying the rules at AHS immediately causes them to be taken off the roster. Santillan said, “Students who are in Spanish Honor Society are held to the highest discipline standards.” Community Service for the Spanis Honor Society includes completing 15 hours each year and those hours must be turned by a certain date. If not, then they will lose their membership.
Junior, Allison Jackson who is a new member of the Spanish Honor Society said, “It is a great honor to be a part of the Spanish Honor Society, and it means a lot to me.” Senior Kayla Hutcherson who was inducted into the Spanish Honor Society last year said, “I see being in the Spanish Honor Society as a way to appreciate Spanish culture and serve my community. Being in the Spanish Honor Society has made me more mindful of the value of serving others.” Senior Brooke Dellis who was also inducted into the Spanish Honor Society last year said, “Spanish Honor Society has encouraged me to truly expand my knowledge on the Spanish language and the culture. Because the society requires a certain amount of hours each year, it has also encouraged me to be involved in more community service projects.” Dellis said, “Being in the Spanish Honor Society means that I am truly opening myself up to learn and experience a completely different language and culture. Spanish Honor Society allows me to truly learn and appreciate another culture that I would otherwise not learn about.”
