Joana Vassao and Ariana Edwardsen also contributed to this article.
May 28th marked the seniors’ last day at Malden High School, but it was also the last National Honor Society (NHS) induction for senior members. The annual induction ceremonies aren’t just to honor the seniors, but to present all the members’ personal projects.
Every year, members create posters about things they are a part of. After the ceremony, members, family, and friends make their way to see all the posters that the seniors have made.
The National Honor Society was founded in 1921, and it is the oldest and largest student-based organization with over a million members across American high schools. At Malden High School, students are eligible to apply to become members when they are sophomores, juniors, or seniors.
NHS Malden is advised by Computer Sciences teacher, Paul Marques, in the Holland house, who has been teaching there for over two decades. Marques started off the ceremony by giving a speech thanking all the families for coming and the seniors for their contributions to the club in their final year. Friends and family were welcomed in by a volunteer who gave a pamphlet listing the names of all NHS members, with the ceremony officially beginning at 6:00 PM in the Jenkins Auditorium.
Marques got off the podium and introduced the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Dr. Sarah McLaughlin, who highlighted the importance of the existence of the NHS, as well as the financial burden on Malden at the moment.
McLaughlin left off on a positive note and introduced the NHS President, junior Cam’ron Crawford. He stepped up to the podium and began by recognizing all seniors, which led up to senior Kelly Ye’s speech about the quality of leadership. Ye talked about how it guided her to where she is today.
“Remember that the world is what we shape it to be,” Ye finished, before walking over to a table in the middle of the stage to light the “candle of leadership.”
Crawford then introduced senior Lincoln Boswell, who shared about the quality of scholarship and its importance. He moved to light the candle and passed the microphone to senior Abigaelle Leconte, who spoke on the quality of service.
Leconte emphasized that the act of community service is not just important and rewarding, but also about “giving more than receiving”.
Leconte lit the candle representing service and passed the microphone to senior Chouaib Saidi, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Blue and Gold, and addressed the final quality– character.
After Saidi’s moment, Marques invited the members to stand so they could perform the annual pledge of the NHS. Next, Marques and principal Chris Mastrangelo would hand out the memberships while Crawford spoke about each member as they walked the stage to meet them.
Crawford began by calling up senior Jessica Chen as she discussed her hobbies, such as being captain of the tennis team, while walking to receive her membership. Next was senior Taliyah Lauture, who finished her senior year off as a member of the AO Step Team and the cheer team.
Seniors Nour Howard, Eason Luc, Remi Yang, Kelly Ye, Delina Yohannes, who is an Editor-in-Chief of Web and Mobile of The Blue and Gold, Ashlee Zeng, Danielle Harrington, Meng Yao Huang, Leica Naceus, Erica Littlejohn, Aldino Talic, Sana Elshafey, Christabel Okhihan, Alex Tse, Saidi, Leconte and Boswell followed on stage as Crawford spoke about each of their interests and hopes for the future. Crawford had also done the same for the junior and sophomore members as they received their memberships.
Next came the introduction of the 2026-2027 officers. Harrington, Boswell, Huang, and Crawford all gathered on one side of the table and Marques stepped up to the podium to call the new officers.
The presidential position would remain as Crawford for his senior year. Harrington passed the candle to junior Keira Celicourt, Boswell handed it to sophomore Julius Scott, Huang gave it to sophomore Kidus Tsige, and Crawford passed it to himself.
Everyone else returned to their seats as Marques remained at the podium to congratulate all the seniors on their plans for college.
Mastrangelo then went to the microphone to congratulate and highlight the seniors’ accomplishments to the audience. He finished off by reminding the seniors to “never forget” where they came from, as he stated that Malden would be a part of them forever. Marques returned to the podium to introduce the next part of the ceremony: the senior tribute speeches.
All seniors must dedicate a speech to someone close to them and read it at the induction. For example, Leconte’s speech, dedicated to her mother and sisters, which she also performed entirely in Haitian Creole. Harrington’s was to her mother, thanking her for all she did to help get her where she is now, before thanking her mom for the coding and Portuguese lessons as she finished her speech in Portuguese.
Saidi’s message to his mom and little brother left the audience laughing after he reminded his brother that he could absolutely not have his cologne collection when he leaves for college. Yohannes had a heartfelt message for her grandmother and mother, and Boswell, who shared a speech to one of his best friends since kindergarten at Linden STEAM Academy, senior Thomas Conti, for how much of a great friend he has been to him for so long.
As the senior tributes began to wrap up, it then came time for the annual teacher and mentor of the year awards, which went to Mrs. Shank (formally known as Ms. Haskell) and Mr. Valente.
“It was amazing, I did not expect it, I was surprised, and I felt really just honored. But I just felt really excited. All the teachers work so hard, and it is really nice to have the students recognize when you put in the extra effort,” Shank expressed. She also noted that the 2025-2026 senior class, especially, was one she feels “really close to.”
Marques noted how the awards were “well deserved” as he highlighted that he’s known them for 15 and 30 years, respectively.
Marques then instructed the seniors to take their NHS stoles out of the plastic bag to put around their necks. The members then got off the stage and gathered to take a group photo.
He followed by informing everyone that the next part of the event would be a gallery walk of the members’ personal projects. As everyone entered Cafe A, they were welcomed to get food that was in the center of the cafeteria and look around to see the projects. When everyone was settled in, members presented their projects to their families and friends.
“There were lots of cleanup efforts, which were really great because we need to be working on that for the environment. Also, one of the projects, they came in here and cleaned up my room, which was really helpful,” Shank recalled.
As the night ended and the seniors looked towards graduation and college in the fall, junior members prepared for their induction and their final year as members of the National Honor Society and at Malden High.
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