WENDELL - East Wake High School inducted more than three dozen students into the Marcia K. Smith Chapter of the National Honor Society on Thursday night.

In front of family and friends, 38 new NHS members were recognized individually and together took the National Honor Society pledge by candlelight.

Senior inductees were: Sidney Del Cid, Nneka Molokwu, Selena Quinteros, Anna Riddle, Gabriel Rollins, Kara Van Nice and Breania Young.

Junior inductees were: Hailey Blount, Courtney Bond, Austin Boyette, Kenan Bunn, Sadie Egan, Monique Elliott, Megan Felts, Yonaldy Fernandez, Taylor Freeman, Emma Gardner, Alena Grubb, Zachary Heath, William Hicks, Marla Hux, Jeffrey Jones, Tianna Knuckles, Corey Miller, Joselin Miranda-Gonzalez, Todd Mizell, Kaitlin Moss, Jackson Oliver, Dylan Reyes, Stacey Salazar, Adam Sauls, Andrew Shiver, Abimael Torres Rivera, Loni Tyndall, Jun Wang, Jasmyne Watkins, Kaitlyn West and Sterling Wilder.

WakeMed President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Bill Atkinson, the event's guest speaker, provided some insight into the four qualities promoted by the National Honor Society that he has learned during his career.

"When I go into meetings, every person I'm in the room with graduated first in their class. But some of the most valuable lessons in life come from people who have wisdom far beyond those with the higher degrees. A real scholar understands the value of diverse opinions and thoughts about life," Atkinson said.

"Service is about doing the thing that is not expected of you, not being above doing anything you would ask those to the left and right of you to do," Atkinson said. "Every year I'm evaluated by my board. Each of them puts on paper what they think (of my leadership)."

Atkinson told the new honor society members to have a great life and help others to have a great life.

"These characteristics are what you are being honored for here tonight," he said.

NHS chapter officers also addressed the inductees.

"The real leader strives to train and aid others to attain the same objective. The price of leadership is sacrifice - the willingness to yield one's personal interests for the interests of others," vice president Sara Hocutt said.

"Knowledge is one great element in life that leads to the highest success, and it can be acquired in only one way - through diligence and effort," NHS secretary Allysa Clagett said of scholarship.

Projects Chair Ashley Ford explained service as, "Willingness to work for the benefit of those in need, without monetary compensation or without recognition."

Describing character as "The force within each individual, which distinguishes that person from others," Fundraising chair Samantha Pulley said, "We must be in reality what we wish to appear to others ... by demonstrating such qualities as reliability, honesty and sincerity."

Marcia Smith, for whom the East Wake NHS chapter is named, was an East Wake High guidance counselor who encouraged students to strive to be their best, use their talents and abilities to serve those in need around them, be honest in all they do and say, and lead others by example.

After her death in 1991, the school named the NHS after her for promoting the four qualities held in high esteem by the society: leadership, scholarship, service and character.