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Twenty-five juniors and seniors at Paynesville Area High School were inducted into the National Honor Society - which recognizes scholarship, service, leadership, and character - on Tuesday, March 29. Pictured are: (front) Megan Reeck, Kelly Herzberg, James Paul, Laura Weidner, Katie Schlick, and Lindsey Pelton; (middle) Kayla Nelson, Katie Holtzclaw, Sheena Hoekstra, Matt Fuchs, Jessica Lahr, and Breana Kochmann; (back) Stacy Thomsen, Rachael Wendlandt, Stephen Lenzmeier, Matt Mehr, Shawn Buermann, Mark Andrie, Mitch Mueller, Allyson Klenke, and Lynn Lieser. Not pictured were Amanda Kern, Ashley Frank, Michelle Magedanz, and Tanya Whitcomb.

The National Honor Soceity recognizes scholarship (to be eligible students must have a GPA of 3.0 or better), service, character, and leadership. "You are being honored tonight because you are the best of the best," superintendent Todd Burlingame told the group at the induction ceremony.

While they were being honored for what they had accomplished, Burlingame added that these students' scholarship, service, character, and leadership would lead to a lifetime of accomplishments that was just beginning.

Seniors inducted last week were Matthew Fuchs, Katie Holtzclaw, Amanda Kern, Michelle Magedanz, Matthew Mehr, and Rachael Wendlandt. Juniors inducted were Mark Andrie, Shawn Buermann, Ashley Frank, Kelly Herzberg, Sheena Hoekstra, Allyson Klenke, Breana Kochmann, Jessica Lahr, Stephen Lenzmeier, Lynn Lieser, Mitchell Mueller, Kayla Nelson, James Paul, Lindsey Pelton, Megan Reeck, Katie Schlick, Stacy Thomsen, Laura Weidner, and Tanya Whitcomb.

(In addition, seniors Amber Chevalier, Kim Hess, Kendra Johnson, Lisa Lenzmeier, Brittany Lieser, Erin Loesch, Stephanie Louis, Kayla Mackedanz, Michelle Monson, Jack Mueller, Michael Mueller, Katie Nelson, Sarah Schmidt, Ashley Spanier, and Kristi Utsch were ind

PAHS students must apply for National Honor Soceity membership. Their applications are reviewed by a five-member faculty committee, said principal John Janotta.

National Honor Society members, Janotta said at the induction ceremony, have a commitment to learning, knowing the lasting benefits of a cultivated mind and knowing that learning is a lifelong goal.

Service, according to the National Honor Society, is voluntary contributions to the school or community without compensation. Leaders are students who are resourceful, promoters of school activities, and ones who exemplify positive attitudes about life, also according to the National Honor Society, and character is found in students who uphold principles of morality and ethics.