Rebecca Hoffmann, Brianna Isaza and Julie Rogel are high-powered members of Huntington High School’s Class of 2021. The trio captured this year’s Science Honor Society scholarship awards, garnering $500 stipends along with a certificate.
Ms. Hoffmann plans to attend Northeastern University where she intends to study neuroscience on a pre-med track. Ms. Isaza is headed to Binghamton University to study nursing or biology. Ms. Rogel will be attending the University of Scranton and studying kinesiology and physical therapy and playing on the school’s NCAA Division I field hockey team.
Support from her family, friends and teachers has been integral to Ms. Hoffmann’s success. “Their constant love and good vibes” have put her in a position to accomplish all of her goals. One of the leaders of the Blue Devil marching band, she served as president of the Science Honor Society and vice president of the French Honor Society. A National French Exam award recipient, she is an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor.
Hard work, dedication and perseverance have been essential elements of Ms. Isaza’s success over the past four years. Her “driving force” has been her parents, “who have sacrificed so much” for her to have a better life, she said. The teenager said she has learned that regardless of challenges you face, you must push through and be the best you can be.
Ms. Isaza served as president of the Grandfriends club and the Spanish Honor Society. A member of seven different academic honor societies, she was a Natural Helper, assisting classmates while they worked through difficult personal issues and participated in AWOD (A World of Difference), which promotes anti-bias education. She ran on Huntington’s cross country and track teams and completed a credit bearing internship with science teacher Anna Fabela.
Ms. Rogel said her success is attributable to becoming involved in activities that she truly enjoys and is passionate about and her excellent time management skills. She starred on the Blue Devil field hockey team, volunteered with the Key Club and performed with the high school’s chamber orchestra. An Advanced Placement Scholar, she helped lead the Science Honor Society’s Science Story Time STEM reading initiative.
The Science National Honor Society was organized in 2000 with the following objectives:
• To encourage and recognize scientific and intellectual thought.
• To advance students’ knowledge of classical and modern science.
• To communicate with the scientific community.
• To aid the civic community with its comprehension of science.
• To encourage students to participate in community service and in turn, encourage a dedication to the pursuit of scientific knowledge that benefits all of mankind.
The motto inscribed in Latin on the Science National Honor Society shield translates to “Fortunate is one who understands the causes of things.” Each chapter of the organization is required to pursue at least one project each school year.
Candidates for membership must meet the following criteria:
• Must be in the junior or senior year of high school. (freshmen and sophomores are ineligible)
• Must have taken at least an honors level science course in the previous year.
• A candidate or member must be enrolled in at least an honors level or higher full year science level course in their junior year and at least one upper level full year science class during their senior year. If a second year honors or upper level science course is not offered, then the student must be enrolled in a second first year honors or upper level science class (Therefore, senior year, Regents Physics will be accepted; no elective classes will be accepted for admittance)
• Must have a weighted overall academic grade average of 85 percent or higher and a minimum average of 92 percent in science courses.
Inducted members must attend a minimum of 75 percent of meetings and participate in at least two sustained, ongoing chapter activities during a calendar year that are above and beyond the science classroom experience.