By J1 Reporter Ellie Smith

Countless hours of studying.
Late nights finishing assignments.
Early mornings coming into school for help.
All of this extra hard work, just to receive a good grade and move on to the next assignment. 

Junior Ximena Perez Silva experiences the stress of school and puts in countless hours serving her community every weekend. She says, “I try to prioritize things that will not only help my future self, but something I genuinely enjoy doing. Although it gets stressful, the work I do is work I am passionate about and have a true interest in.”

Since the beginning of the school year, Silva has spent every Saturday morning at the Stephen Center. She greets familiar faces at the front desk, passes out food with a gracious smile, and lends a helping hand for friends of her community. 

“I have always wanted to be a member of the National Honor Society (NHS). When I saw a letter for myself in the mail, and found out it was for the NHS, I was relieved that my hard work started to pay off,” Silva said. 

Counselor Mrs. Kathy DeWispelare, moderator of NHS, explains that it’s important to “to publicly recognize those who achieve academic excellence paired with leadership, character and service to school and community.”

Silva met the requirements of NHS by earning a 3.8 cumulative GPA, holding a leadership position on Diversity Board, performing community service at the Stephen Center and participating in the Faith in Action Team, Speech and Debate team, Harvard Model Congress and more. 

Silva’s motivation, concern for the community, and diligent work at school makes her a leader. She puts in hours of extra hard work and dedication to make a difference in her community. “My Grandpa has always displayed the definition of hard work and shares his stories of the cultural barriers in coming to America,” Silva said. “He reminds me constantly that pursuing an education not only opens up opportunities for myself, but for my future generations as well.”

On top of maintaining good grades, Silva puts in extra effort to be a role model for her peers at school and people in her community. “I try to be a positive light for everybody and remember to recognize and appreciate everyone’s differences by modeling compassion,” she said. 

The National Honor Society rewards hard working students like Ximena Perez Silva with recognition that sets them apart from other students. 

Congratulations to the newest members of Marian’s National Honor Society

Audrey	Arthur	12
Carli	Beal	12
Kennedy	Brezenski	12
Sofia	Pantano	12
Abigail	Pelan	12
Mary	Pelan	12
Campbell	Piotrowski	12
Ellen	Stiles	12
Madison	Werth	12
Sydney	Auman	11
Ruthanne	Barrett	11
Cassidy	Bauer	11
Anna	Bragg	11
Isabella	Brichacek	11
Meredith	Britson	11
Rachel	Buresh	11
Mia	Butler	11
Alexis	Cowles	11
Reagan	Dreibelbis	11
Martha	Engel	11
Hailey	Eriksen	11
Claire	Fitzpatrick	11
Shelby	Gerken	11
Macaire	Harr	11
Emilia	Hoyt	11
Amber	Johanek	11
Abigail	Konecky	11
Riya	Kumar	11
Bridget	McGill	11
Margaret	McGill	11
Joslyn	McKee	11
Chizora	Okolo	11
Isabella	Olsen	11
Ximena	Perez Silva	11
Elizabeth	Piernicky	11
Mia	Ramirez	11
Sophia	Reinhardt	11
Kaylie	Rocha	11
Gabriella	Roche	11
Taylor	Roemmich	11
Kenadie	Rudloff	11
Tori	Schenkelberg	11
Madison	Shaffar	11
Grace	Simet	11
Maya	Simet	11
Catherine	Slattery	11
Aja	Smith	11
Eden	Smith	11
Ellen	Smith	11
Madeleine	Smith	11
Grace	Sparwasser	11
Madison	Stover	11
McKenna	Stover	11
Madison	Terranova	11
Laura	Torres-Salvador	11
Sofia	Torres-Salvador	11
Julia	Trainer	11
Ella	Turkel	11
Megan	Tyrcha	11
Beverly	Vargas	11
Mariella	Virgillito	11
Scarlett	Wharton	11
Allison	White	11
Jenna	Woodard	11
Maya	Zier	11