Courtesy Photo The members of the Thunder Bay Junior High School’s National Junior Honor Society Chapter pose for a photo. The NJHS earned a National Award for Overall Award of Excellence.

ALPENA – Thunder Bay Junior High School’s National Junior Honor Society Chapter (NJHS) has won a National Award for Overall Award of Excellence, Alpena Public Schools announced in a press release on Wednesday.

The award is given for the chapter’s exemplary record of leadership, service and efforts to improve the school and community.

The NJHS is supported by its parent organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), which also oversees the National Association of Student Councils. Thunder Bay Junior High NJHS students collectively completed over 1,200 volunteer hours and led a wide range of service projects that made a meaningful impact in the community.

They decorated positive-message to-go bags for Hungry Hippie, created placemats for assisted living homes, crafted holiday cards for local VFW veterans, and made handmade toys for the Huron Humane Society.

Students also adopted seven local families at Christmas through United Way, providing more than 150 gifts for children. In addition, the chapter fundraised to purchase picnic tables for the school courtyard, giving classmates a welcoming space to gather and build community. “The NJHS Chapter Pillar Awards celebrate chapters that truly embody what the National Junior Honor Society stands for–students who don’t just excel academically but actively strengthen their communities,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “The Thunder Bay Junior High School chapter demonstrates how powerful it can be when young leaders channel their talents toward meaningful service and positive change.”

Katie Lee, principal of Thunder Bay Junior High School, said each of the students in the NJHs are deserving because of their commitment to the community and effort to give back to it.

“We are incredibly proud of our NJHS students for earning the Overall Award of Excellence,” said Katie Lee, principal of Thunder Bay Junior High School. “This recognition reflects the passion and dedication of our students to not only achieve academically but to lead and serve in ways that strengthen our school and community. Our students’ commitment to leadership, service, and scholarship has made a difference. This award is a testament to their hard work, collaboration, and the positive impact young people can have when they dedicate themselves to helping others.”

NJHS Advisor Courtney Gagnon said he was honored to work side by side with the students and see the passion they have for their community.

“I am beyond blessed to be the advisor for Thunder Bay NJHS. The students went above and beyond their duties as members with the amount of volunteer hours they completed, service projects and keeping their grades up,” Gagnon said. “Many students participated in other extracurricular activities keeping to the pillars of NJHS, showing that they are outstanding citizens at TBJH. The students made a positive impact on not only TBJH, but in the community as well, their dedication to helping shows that young people can have a positive impact!”

The NJHS Chapter Pillar Awards are prestigious recognitions to celebrate the outstanding achievements of NJHS chapters across the country. In addition to basic requirements, the chapters must have demonstrated successful activities that exemplify one or all of the core values of NJHS: scholarship, leadership, service and character.