Alum encourages Science National Honor Society Inductees to pursue futures in science

Congratulations to the 25 seniors who were inducted into the McNicholas High School chapter of the Science National Honor Society. This is the largest group of inductees to date. These students have excelled in their classes and shown a passion for science related fields: Katie Claes, Colin Koran, Kate Brokamp, Tanner Shelly, Kennedy Kramer, Justin Smith, Jonathan Byrum, Megan Longmore, Isabel Holte, Olivia Donovan, Evelyn Hurlburt, Grace Reuss, Mia Ray, Jacob Gundrum, Tyler Munzel, Will Hogan, Eric Reinhart, Francie Goff, Olivia Stein, Lynn Sandmann, Julia Cheek, Lila Moeves, Ben Jones, Jacob Smith, and Matthew Irvine.   

“We are so proud of our seniors,” science teacher Ms. Mary Dennemann shared. “They are all amazing students, many of whom have taken five or more science classes in just four years. We are excited to welcome them into the Science National Honor Society and we look forward to seeing where they end up in the future.”  

Guest speaker Rick Berning, McNicholas class of 2004, shared advice on following an interest in science and keeping an open mind when it comes to future opportunities and careers. Rick graduated from UC with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and is currently an investigator for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration serving in the Office of Bioresearch Monitoring Foreign Inspection Cadre.  

Rick recounted his journey through college, feeling uncertain about his calling, but continuing to build on the foundation of AP and STEM courses he completed during his time at McNicholas. “Keep working at the sciences and other coursework you choose and don’t be afraid to make a change if something is not a good fit for you. There are near infinite possibilities of careers out there.” 

Rick gave this advice to our inductees: “If you stay in the sciences, it can open doors you could never imagine because you don’t even know they are there!”