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Lifting her ladle, Isabelle Sainz ’24 serves punch. After the induction ceremony, new NSHS members ate food and visited with their families and current NSHS members.
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Preparing punch, Ava Sartor ’25 and Audrey Lee ’25 mix orange juice and Sprite. NSHS volunteers arrived prior to the ceremony to make food and drinks and set up the cafeteria.
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Reaching for a spoon, Deborah Gutierrez ’25 serves herself fruit following the induction ceremony. Food such as chips and salsa, taquitos, and cake were served to new inductees and their families.
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On Thursday, Feb. 1, students filed into the cafeteria to be inducted as new members of the Diego Velasquez chapter of National Spanish Honor Society (NSHS) after school.
Families watched as the new members recited a poem in Spanish together: a promise of their commitment to the organization. Two days prior, inductees gathered to rehearse the poem.
“My favorite moment was seeing all of the proud parents excited to see their kids reach yet another one of their goals,” Deborah Gutierrez ‘25 said.
Volunteers, who were current members of NSHS, arrived early to set up tables, hand out programs, and prepare Hispanic food for the ceremony.
“I liked being able to help put together an engaging event for the new members of NSHS,” Audrey Lee ‘25 said. “It was fun assisting in the coordination and execution of the ceremony behind the scenes with the other volunteers.”
During the ceremony, inductees were given a red and gold cord to wear around their neck, along with candles they ceremoniously lit after being handed their certificates by NSHS sponsor Sra. Llanos.
“The induction was a really fun process, and I enjoyed the candlelight ceremony,” Tharini Murugananth ‘25 said. “I’m excited to be a member so that I can give back to my community and so that I can continue learning more about Spanish culture.”
NSHS offers many volunteering opportunities such as hosting cultural events and tutoring, as well as the possibility of scholarships for travel and university.
“I applied to NSHS with the purpose of stepping out of my comfort zone, of expanding my cultural awareness, and of growing while becoming a more well-rounded person,” Gutierrez said. “NSHS is more than a society, it’s a home within Westwood where I know that I can further develop my language abilities and meet new and diverse people.”
