MAHS NHS welcomes new members

The Meyersdale Area High School chapter of NHS welcomed new members on May 1, 2025.

The Meyersdale Area High School chapter of National Honor Society welcomed new members into their ranks during an induction ceremony held May 1, 2025, in the high school auditorium. Parents/guardians, families, friends, students, staff and faculty attended the ceremony. Mr. Josh Sechler served as the guest speaker.

The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. Created in 1921, NHS recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship, service, leadership and character. The Meyersdale chapter, which was founded in 1928, is under the direction of Mrs. Bree Yoder, and is very active within our district and our community. Annual service events include Mini-THON, Blooms of Hope, community clean-up days and many other events and activities.

The following students were inducted into this prestigious organization: Ava Jeffries, Olivia Knopsnyder, Bailey Schardt, Olivia Baker, Emma Kretchman, Hailey Roberston, Autumn Baker, Kaydence Smith, Leaonca Fazenbaker, Samuel Mason, Kylee Haer, Lily Sutton, Tyler Hanson, Trinity Hoover Christopher Engle, Natalie Trowbridge, Logan Simpkins, Trey’Shawn Bolyard, Nicholas Kimble and Jasmine Carlyle.

Consideration and acceptance into the NHS is determined in several areas of qualification, including scholarship, service, leadership and character. Newly inducted members of the Meyersdale NHS chapter must have a minimum GPA of 3.3 to be considered for this prestigious organization. Then, faculty and staff evaluate candidates in the areas of character and leadership. Finally, inductees must demonstrate evidence of prior volunteerism to the school and to their community to be approved for induction.

After approval for induction, inductees must compose essays on one of the four cornerstones which are then teacher-evaluated and selected for reading at the ceremony. The cornerstones are character, service, leadership and scholarship. Emma Kretchman shared her essay on scholarship; Hailey Robertson presented her essay on character; Leaonca Fazenbaker spoke about leadership and Natalie Trowbridge shared her essay on the importance of service.

The guest speaker for the ceremony was Josh Sechler. A native of Confluence, he is a 1999 graduate of Meyersdale Area High School. Sechler continued his education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and economics. Josh is also a graduate from the Pennsylvania Bankers Association’s Advanced School of Banking.

Since 2005, Josh has been employed at Somerset Trust Company and is currently the Assistant Vice President of Treasury Management, overseeing relationship and market development for the company.

Sechler enjoys volunteering at many local organizations throughout the county. He serves on the board of Somerset Rural Electric, and is a board member of the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association where he is the chairman of the dues and rates committee and Vice Chair of the member services committee. He is a member of the Turkeyfoot Valley Historical Society, Great Glades Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and Mt Union Church Camp #502 of the Sons of Union Veterans. Sechler serves as financial secretary of Kingwood I.O.O.F. Lodge #1010, and holds a director position at the following organizations: Kingwood Picnic Association, Kingwood I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Crossroads Cemetery Association, Younkin Cemetery Association, Jersey Settlement and Baptist Church Cemetery Associations. He and his family attend church at Faith Assembly in Uniontown

Sechler resides on Kingwood Road in Confluence with his wife Mallory and daughter Audia. In his spare time, he enjoys rooting for all of the professional sports teams in Pittsburgh and his beloved Pitt Panthers, traveling and collecting baseball cards. He and his wife own and operate Salt & Light Meadows Flower Farm and Sechler Sugar Shack, a seventh generation maple syrup farm.

The ceremony concluded with the traditional candle-lighting ceremony as last year’s inductees lit the candles of the new members.

The following current members welcomed the new inductees: Kylah Adriance, Jaylynn Anderson (Secretary), Hope Canfield, Joseph Comfort, Allison Creegan, Jessica Daughton, Maria Housel, Madison Hummelbaugh (Treasurer), Jackson Kelly, Bailey Knotts, James Kretchman, Amber Long, Hannah Roush, Katie Schurg, Ryan Sechler (President), Calen Simpkins, Malia Sines, Hunter Smiley, Emilee Stewart, Lilah Topper and Landon Wilt (Vice President).

Congratulations to each of these outstanding students!