The NEHS scholarships were established to extend the scholarship offerings for members. Four of these awards are given each year.
NEHS Scholarship ($1,500 each)
Areknaz Khaligian
Harborside Academy
Chapter: Harborside Academy
Kenosha, WI
Areknaz Khaligian is graduating from Harborside Academy High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. As a strong English student, Areknaz has been an NEHS member since her sophomore year. In the fall, she will begin her undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago. Areknaz is interested in majoring and minoring in a variety of areas including mathematics, history, and music.
When it comes to out-of-school hobbies, reading has always been one of Areknaz’s favorites. If she had to pick a single book genre to read for the rest of her life, it would be historical fiction. Historical fiction novels are always full of new surprises and they provided a chance to travel to a different world every time a new book is started. One day she could be a worker in the industrial revolution or a slave on a southern plantation and another day embark on an adventure to czarist Russia or the ancient Roman Empire. Reading these stories opened her eyes to “the way things used to be”, and instilled a love of history. Areknaz plans to continue feeding her imagination with stories like these, and as long as she can see, she will be able to travel to exotic places, meet new people, and learn new things for the rest of her life.
In the end, Areknaz was excited to learn that she was an NEHS scholarship winner, and perhaps a reason she did well with the essay was because she enjoyed the book so much. What an amazing opportunity she feels she had, to step into two different lifestyles and get a taste of what it would be like to be Candido, America, Delaney, or any of the other characters. In fact, as a 3rd generation Armenian-American, Areknaz can relate to peoples of different backgrounds which may have added to her interest in this book along with others in its genre.
Ahmad Razi
Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies
Chapter: Tennessee Williams
Metairie, LA
Ahmad Razi is from Metairie, Louisiana (which is near New Orleans) and he has had an eventful high school career. Ahmad has been a part of the NEHS for 3 years and has also participated in the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, FIRST Robotics, and more. Although Ahmad considers himself a more science and math oriented kind of person, literature has great value in his life due the human experiences it captures and conveys. Ahmad plans to major in Chemical Engineering while following the pre-medicine course track at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He plans to attend medical school and become a practicing medical doctor. He is ecstatic to have been selected for the NEHS scholarship because it allows him to worry less about the cost of college and focus more on his college studies.
Delane Zahoruido
Amesbury High School
Chapter: John Greenleaf Whittier
Amesbury, MA
As a National English Honor Society member, Delane has tutored local middle school students to help improve their MCAS (Massachusetts state exam) scores. She has also helped run book drives to collect used books to donate to her town’s school and public libraries. Throughout high school, Delane has participated in a number of activities including: class representative, band, chorus, peer leaders (vice president), math team, basketball (captain), track, National English Honor Society, Math Honor Society, History Honor Society, and National Honor Society. Throughout high school she has balanced her academic focus with with community service and employment. Delane works as a caregiver for several community members from surrounding towns. The caregiver positions encompass children, infants, elders and even family pets. After high school, Delane will attend Babson College to study business and entrepreneurship.
Additional NEHS Scholarship Awards
Caroline Townley
Bolton High School
Chapter: Beta Beta Epsilon
Alexandria, LA
Raven Alexander
Bolton High School
Chapter: Beta Beta Epsilon
Alexandria, LA
