Reston, VA—The National Honor Society (NHS) is excited to announce that Sheyla Street, a senior at Central High School from Philadelphia, has been selected as the National Winner of the esteemed and competitive $25,000 NHS Scholarship. Street was chosen from nearly 10,000 applicants. The NHS Scholarship program is supported by NHS’s parent organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Sheyla Street is a dedicated activist for the rights and voice of students and young people, particularly focusing on social justice and voter engagement. With the 2020 election, Street served as a national ambassador for the My School Votes program, helping to register over 30,000 young people nationally in just seven months and leading to the registration of over 1,000 student and community members and over 90% of her school’s eligible students. She organized an action-based initiative to improve conditions for Black students at her school, which she then leveraged into a schoolwide anti-racism symposium, with the goal of defining the roles of students and teachers in creating a fairer and more equitable environment for Black students. Over 300 students and teachers participated. She also founded the Philly Black Students Alliance, made up of Black students, teachers, and alumni across the district all united together demanding for anti-racist schools and student representation on their school board.

“We’re thrilled to support Sheyla’s tremendous work and the remarkable initiatives that she’s spearheaded,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “With her commitment and dedication to service and the work she’s done on behalf of her community, Sheyla embodies the type of leader that NHS has celebrated and upheld for the past 100 years. Now, more than ever, we need bold, fearless, and passionate leaders like Sheyla who aren’t afraid of standing up for what’s right. We can’t wait to see what comes next for Sheyla and are thrilled to have been a small part of her journey.”

NHS is awarding $2 million in scholarships to 600 high school seniors this year based on their demonstrated work to support the four pillars of NHS membership: scholarship, service, leadership, and character. While 575 semifinalists receive $3,200 scholarships, the 24 finalists receive $5,625. The finalists are:

Ashley Asante-Manu 

Alexandria, VA | Hayfield Secondary School

As the child of Ghanaian immigrants, Ashley Asante-Manu used her desire to learn as a vehicle to improve the world around her, co-founding Clean Up Ghana to help disadvantaged people in her home country. She is the president of her school’s NHS as well as a member of the science, humanities, math, English, and Spanish honor societies. She is also a member of Student2Student, a club that helps new students grow more connected to school. She has been awarded a National Academy of Future Physicians & Medical Scientist Award of Excellence, has been selected for the Ambassador Leadership Summit, and is captain of her soccer team.

Catherine Cavanaugh

Lansdale, PA | North Penn High School

Catherine Cavanaugh founded the Spanish Translation Project, an initiative to translate the Pennsylvania common core biology and health curricula into Spanish. The project has grown to have more than 100 continuing users and the initiative was expanded to the Pennsylvania Department of Education and to University of Pennsylvania’s ACTION tutoring program. Cavanaugh is a gifted cellist and serves in a number of leadership roles at her school, including Champion Ambassador for The Giving Tree Service Organization; president of Girl Up, a United Nations initiative aimed at providing relief to women across the world in poverty; and as a member of the North Penn High School superintendent’s student council.

Haleigh Chapin

Elkhart, TX | Elkhart High School

Haleigh Chapin has contributed over 1,000 service hours to a variety of organizations in her community, such as the Luke Strong Leukemia Foundation, which helps a local family with the financial burden of cancer by fundraising with T-shirt sales. She also supports Living Alternatives, a local organization supporting the needs of expectant mothers with financial needs. With the help of other volunteers, Chapin set up a baby shower for the women at Living Alternatives, collecting donations from local businesses to ensure the event’s success.

Alina De Zoysa

Jackson, NJ | Jackson Memorial High School

As the president of her school’s NHS, Science National Honor Society, and local Girls Who Code, Alina De Zoysa is passionate about reaching underrepresented audiences in computer science, completing her Girl Scout Gold Award project on this very topic by providing young girls within her community and across the nation early access education to computer science. De Zoysa channeled the loss of her mother into decreasing racial disparities in healthcare, and successfully lobbied the New Jersey state government to stop lunch shaming. 

Claire Downing

Helena, MT | Helena High School

As an aspiring changemaker, Claire Downing is already making her mark serving as the Montana 4-H Ambassador Officer President and one of 26 nationwide National 4-H Equity Ambassadors. With a strong interest in environmental science and dedication to the scientific process, Downing serves as president of her school’s Envirothon Science Club and recently completed an evaluation of the role of three bryophyte species in stabilizing ecosystems following severe wildfire events, increasingly common in western states like Montana.

James Edwards 

Wilmington, DE | Salesianum School

After being diagnosed with a rare disease, Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, at the age of 2, James Edwards went on to serve as Ambassador of Rare Diseases for Nemours Children’s Healthcare System and has worked with healthcare professionals to support Rare Disease Day, which raises awareness and fundraises for pediatric rare disease research. He led a social media awareness campaign to highlight some of Nemours’ rare disease “warriors,” which was viewed by over 50,000 people and raised $10,000 in research funding.

Catherine Fitzpatrick

Plymouth Meeting, PA | Plymouth Whitemarsh High School

Following a scoliosis diagnosis, Catherine Fitzpatrick sought connection with other patients at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and eventually joined their patients’ ambassadors program, serving as a mentor. With her diagnosis, Fitzpatrick feared her academic progress would be stalled by her physical health. Instead, she channeled strength and discovered a newfound confidence to succeed, enrolling in AP and honors classes. She holds leadership positions in many school clubs including Mock Trial, DECA, Robotics, student council, and NHS.

Sonia Goyal

Clarksville, MD | River Hill High School

Sonia Goyal founded Educate2Donate, which tutors disadvantaged students in exchange for school supplies or minimal fees, the proceeds of which are donated to educational charities. To date, Educate2Donate has raised over $10,000 in charitable donations. As team leader in the BP Global STEM Academy UN Sustainable Development Goals program, Goyal led her team to victory with their services project that advocated for global gender equality. She is the co-founder and producer of an international podcast titled “Out Loud,” which serves as an outlet for students to advocate for issues of interest to them worldwide.

Madeline Hamilton

Paintsville, KY | Johnson Central High School

Madeline Hamilton prepares for her dream of becoming a physician by giving back to her community—volunteering at a local family practice; visiting nursing homes; conducting food, clothing, and toy drives; and planting flowers to beautify her home city. She supports her peers by tutoring other students, with a focus on helping students with dyslexia in order to help those with learning disabilities.

Kiersten Hash

Charlotte, NC | Mallard Creek High School

Kiersten Hash is the founder of Queens for Change, a community organization that provides a safe space for teenage Black girls to voice their issues and serve their community. Since then, she has hosted panel discussions, service events, and purpose walks, and has brought together more than 100 Black girls in Charlotte to discuss how to create change. She also participates as a volunteer juror for Mecklenburg County Teen Court, a nonprofit organization that offers alternative justice for teens with misdemeanor offenses.

Liyu Huang

Vancouver, WA | Skyview High School

As the Youth Blood Services Lead for the SWWA Red Cross, Liyu Huang has organized numerous blood drives and supported schools and individuals who are new to blood services. By introducing new changes to tackle efficiency and recruitment, Huang’s blood drives have become some of the largest in Washington state, collecting more than 100 pints each day. His passion for healthcare and medicine inspired him to co-found the Future Medical Professionals club. He is also the founder and president of the International Teens Upholding Nature Association (iTUNA), bringing youth together to “Protect the Pacific from Sea to Sky.” Through his efforts, today iTUNA has more than 350 members in five countries.

Jacob Lockman

White Salmon, WA | Columbia High School

After watching his friend struggle with speech and mobility after suffering from cerebral palsy, Jacob Lockman led his robotics club to invent a device that helps those with cerebral palsy play card games. His innovative spirit earned their prototype second place at Stanford’s Demo Day and he hopes to take his device to nationwide competitions soon.

Amira Mansuri

Miramar, FL | Everglades High School

Amira Mansuri is her class president, her school’s NHS chapter president, and has held leadership positions in Key Club and the Science National Honor Society. Outside of school, Mansuri volunteers with Harvest Drive, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Relay for Life, and the Broward County Council of Muslim Student Associations to advocate for religious and cultural equity within the school calendar, while still finding time to run on the cross-country team.

Suhani Patel

Glendale, AZ | Mountain Ridge High School

Suhani Patel started her school’s Girls Who Code club after noticing how few female students were in her advanced STEM classes. Since then, she’s dedicated over a hundred hours while serving on the curriculum development and events team of LITAS For Girls, a nonprofit that aims to inspire middle level girls to pursue careers in STEM. Patel develops data science, web development, and mobile development curricula in various programming languages and has led workshops to teach foundational programming to more than 300 girls worldwide. Motivated by the tragic story of her dog Yogi who was abused and used in dog fights, Patel created Tech for Tails, a service initiative in which members skilled in programming and coding could teach workshops in exchange for donations to local animal and anti-cruelty societies.

Brett Phelps

Bardstown, KY | Nelson County Sr High School

Brett Phelps’ work ethic and positive attitude shine through everything he does, from the Boy Scouts of America’s “Scouting for Food” and “Feeding America” to his leadership roles in the Key Club, Student Advisory Council, Beta Club, and NHS. Phelps’ passion for democracy and service fueled his senior service project, a virtual voter registration drive that included a promotional video and website, which encouraged students to register to vote. He was also selected to participate in the local Chamber of Commerce’s Young Leaders Program, collaborating with local businesses and students.

Katelyn Pool

Calabasas, CA | Calabasas High School

After being elected vice chair of the first Calabasas Mayor’s Youth Council, Katelyn Pool works to promote civic engagement in her community. She’s also the recipient of Girl Scouts Gold Award for her project “Closing the Technology Gap With Gender and Age” after being inspired by her Girls Who Code (GWC) Summer Immersion Program. Pool went on to form and lead a GWC club at her school after recognizing that less than 1% of girls at her high school were taking AP Computer Science with her.

Anoushka Prasad

Muskego, WI | Muskego High School

Anoushka Prasad founded Compassion Campaign, Inc., which empowers and brings joy to people in need through specialized care packages. To date, the organization has donated over 120 care packages—including more than 1,200 items and 200 handmade cards and letters. Prasad is also an active member of the science club, Health-Occupations Students of America Club, captain of the cross-country team, and IndiaFest Assistant Event Coordinator.

Jack Roberge

Bow, NH | Bow High School

When Jack Roberge learned his high school didn’t recycle, he founded and became president of his school’s Environmental Conservation Club. His passion for sustainability practices has led to community trash cleanups and his school’s first-ever recycling program. In 2020, Roberge also started Writing for Justice, a virtual college-essay editing service that donates all proceeds to Black Lives Matter.

Eleanor Schoenbrun

El Paso, TX | Franklin High School

Eleanor Schoenbrun founded her nonprofit organization, Pennies FUR Pets, at just 8 years old after learning that almost 20,000 healthy homeless pets were killed annually in her community. She’s raised over $57,300 for Pennies FUR Pets, as well as more than $60,000 for Kans for Kids to support ending childhood hunger. Schoenbrun was named El Paso’s Youngest Woman of Philanthropy and a National Make A Difference Day winner.

Lydia Smith

Murrieta, CA | Murrieta Valley High School

As part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Lydia Smith formed a new local chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions, which gives students a platform to discuss issues like depression, substance abuse, and reckless behavior. Smith is passionate about service, participating in awareness walks, collecting donations to send cookies to active duty military, and building houses with Amor Housebuilding in Mexico.

Divita Taduvayi

Middletown, DE | MOT Charter High School

Divita Taduvayi helped develop Feeding the Ville, a marketplace-style app for food insecurity alleviation, as part of the Food in Neighborhoods Coalition in Kentucky. She is currently the national Technology Director for Girls Go Digital, a student-led nonprofit for young women in STEM, in which she expanded the organization’s reach by redesigning their website, increasing their social media presence, and using SEO to improve the site’s visibility. Inspired by her desire to address the STEM gender gap in Delaware, Taduvayi founded Girls Tech Together, a nonprofit that introduces elementary school girls to computer science fundamentals through activities, coding lessons, and interaction with professionals.

Matt Tengtrakool

Burlington, MA | Burlington High School

Matt Tengtrakool is the founder and president of QuaranGreen, a youth-run organization that champions healthy eating and initiates daily routine within communities. He was inspired when he realized the pandemic’s negative impact on many people’s eating habits, noting how easily a temporary lifestyle can have unhealthy long-term impacts. QuaranGreen plants and delivers lettuce, along with informational materials to educate families, servicing 2,000 households across 25 towns throughout Massachusetts. In addition, Tengtrakool founded iRemember Inc., which provides seniors with a social platform to preserve and pass on their stories to the next generation. iRemember was selected as one of the national recipients of the Riley’s Way 2020 Call for Kindness Fellowship and Grant. He also leads iRememberSheets, which assists seniors in navigating their phones and was awarded the APA Power of the Youth grant.

Andrew Woen

Lafayette, CO | Peak to Peak Charter School

Andrew Woen is the inventor of the ReDetect Recycle mobile app and portable device, which identifies whether an object is recyclable in a matter of seconds. In this position, he has advocated on behalf of the recycling crisis with Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) and has participated as a featured speaker at the Summit for Recycling hosted by Recycle Colorado. He also founded and leads the Computer Science Honor Society and serves on his school’s Science National Honor Society. Woen’s desire to be challenged inspired him to spend summers conducting research at Iowa State University and the University of Colorado where he has worked with professors on cyber security, machine learning, and the effects of static and low frequency electromagnetic fields on skin and cancer cells.

Annie Zhu

Bellaire, TX | Bellaire High School

Annie Zhu co-founded Fresh Hub, a nonprofit corporation that rescues unsold food and redistributes it to residents of food deserts, which led her to share her work at the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting and was featured in the APHA Film Festival. She’s active in her community, hosting a nutrition focused youth service day and working with her school’s student council to advocate for efficient communications in the aftermath of an active shooter event. Additionally, Zhu is a leader in the Chinese Honor Society, Girls Who Code, Women in STEM, student council, and City of Houston Mayor Youth Council.

About NASSP

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of middle level and high school principals and other school leaders across the United States. NASSP seeks to transform education through school leadership, recognizing that the fulfillment of each student’s potential relies on great leaders in every school committed to the success of each student. 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 Student Council.