Salem, Indiana– The National Honor Society (NHS) announced that Taylor Garvin and Madalyn Irwin, seniors at Salem High School and members of the Lyon chapter of NHS, has been selected as NHS Scholarship semifinalists.
Since 1946, more than $21 million in scholarships have been awarded to outstanding NHS senior members to support college access and student success. The scholarship program is supported by the parent organization of NHS, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
In the 100+ years since NHS was founded in 1921, members have been making a difference in their schools and communities, and the NHS Scholarship is NASSP’s way of recognizing the most exceptional of these student leaders. Recipients are chosen based on their demonstrated work to support the four pillars of NHS: scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
"I am incredibly proud of Taylor and Madalyn!" stated Lyon chapter advisor, Nicole Purlee. "Both of these ladies are exceptional examples of what National Honor Society represents. We are honored, as a school and NHS chapter, for them to to be awarded these scholarships." This makes five out of the last six years that a member of the National Honor Society at SHS has been recipient of the scholarship.
While at SHS, Taylor has been active in a variety of clubs and organizations over the last four years including National Honor Society, French club, Teen Science Cafe, food design club, and science club. She has taken on various leadership and officer positions within these clubs also. Additionally, her academic achievements have been acknowledged with awards, such as an outstanding student in various classes, earning the President’s Award for Educational Excellence, being a National History Day state finalist, and being on the school’s honor roll.
Taylor manages to maintain exceptional grades while also working. She has applied her personal interests and talents while working as a food preparer and cashier for the concession stand at football games, tutoring students in various subjects, and working with youth through a daycare program and student teaching. Taylor is also actively involved in our NHS chapter through participation in Lions Helping Lions, a soup dinner to raise money for cancer patients within our school corporation and a scholarship in memory of a past faculty member who passed suddenly from a heart attack. Taylor also contributes to our monthly donations to various organizations, such as the Washington County Food Bank, Salem Middle School’s Cubs Care Closet, etc. Taylor has also been actively involved in the Christmas Assistance Program and Exit Zero; her other volunteer activities also include Stamping Out Hunger Program, Joy Prom (a prom for individuals with intellectual disabilities), and numerous others. This fall, Taylor plans to attend Indiana University while pursuing a degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences with a minor in American Sign Language.
Madalyn has also been an exceptional member of National Honor Society since being selected for NHS. She has served during various community service events, such as Lions Helping Lions. Madalyn is also the current NHS chapter treasurer. However, her talents and participation is not limited to NHS; Madalyn is also active in student council, French club, science club, Tri-Hi-Y, S.A.D.D., Lions Unified, booster club, as well as being a member of the soccer, swimming, and softball teams. She has served as a captain for all three sports also. Her community involvement includes planting trees with science club, community park clean-up with student council, volunteering at the Washington County Food Bank, and being a student guide for Lion Kickoff; this is an event for our incoming freshman to tour the high school and learn more about SHS before the school year begins. Madalyn has also worked at the Washington County Animal Shelter, taught French to youth at Southern Hills Daycare, and volunteered at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Lenten fish fry. She is active with the Washington County Youth Foundation and Indiana Youth Advisory Board. Madalyn also manages to work twenty hours a week at Tumbleweed.
Her academic successes are not to be passed by either. Madalyn has earned numerous awards including being a College Board National Rural and Small Town Scholar, being an outstanding student in French, math, pre-calculus, English 111, and U.S. history honors. She has earned our school’s R.O.A.R. award, all A honor roll, academic letters, and athletic achievements including mental attitude awards, most valuable swimmer, workhorse award, playmaker award, most stolen bases award, and 4 year letter award for soccer. Her accomplishments are not limited to SHS as Madalyn has state level awards for her success in softball. Madalyn plans to attend college this fall and double major in neuroscience and psychology with a criminal justice minor.
For more information about the NHS, visit www.nhs.us.
