Kali Horn of York International School Wins More Than $15K in Awards for Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character

Reston, VA — Kali Horn, a senior at York International School in Thornton, CO, has been named the national winner of the 2016 National Honor Society (NHS) Scholarship. She was awarded the $15,500 prize during a surprise visit to her school this evening by NHS Director Jonathan Mathis.

Kali serves as a senior class officer, vice president of NHS, and president of the Math Honor Society at York International, where she ranks 3rd in her class of 41 and carries a 4.02 grade point average. An accomplished musician, Kali plays cello in the Mapleton Chamber Orchestra and in the Front Range Youth Symphony, through which she performs regularly at a local senior center and also mentors other aspiring cellists. Kali freely gives her time, collecting food and providing volunteer childcare for families in need. Moved by the experiences of her three adopted siblings, Kali and her sister founded “Totes and Teddies,” through which they have collected and distributed 500 tote bags of items for children in foster care. Kali will attend the University of Northern Colorado in the fall, where she plans to pursue study in elementary education.

“Kali has the highest integrity of any student I have ever met,” said Laura Nelson, York International principal who has accompanied Kali through her education since kindergarten. “She treats every student with respect and kindness and dedicates her life to helping others. Kali is always the first one in line to help others through service and kindness.”

“For nearly 100 years, NHS has provided a platform for the finest and most service-oriented students in our schools,” said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), which founded and administers NHS. “Kali embodies the best in the four pillars of NHS—scholarship, service, leadership, and character—and we are honored to recognize her.”

Kali received the award in a surprise presentation by NHS Director Jonathan Mathis during York International’s annual Senior Awards Night on May 18. NHS will host a luncheon for faculty and staff, as well as Kali and her family members, at the school the following day to celebrate the award.

Since 1946, NHS has awarded its prestigious NHS Scholarship annually to hundreds of 12th-grade NHS members. Members become eligible through an application process, requiring documentation of their demonstrated scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Three hundred National Semifinalists receive $1,500 prizes. From that pool, 25 National Finalists are selected for an additional $1,500. A single National Winner is then selected to receive a $12,500 prize (for a total of $15,500). To date, the program has awarded more than $13 million to more than 16,000 students. For more information, visit http://www.nhs.us/scholarship.


About NASSP

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and school leaders from across the United States and 35 countries around the world. The association connects and engages school leaders through advocacy, research, education, and student programs. NASSP advocates on behalf of all school leaders to ensure the success of each student and strengthens school leadership practices through the design and delivery of high-quality professional learning experiences. Reflecting its long-standing commitment to student leadership development, NASSP administers the National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, National Elementary Honor Society, and National Association of Student Councils.