The top 10 percent or so seventh and eighth graders at Oak Harbor Middle School have the distinction of becoming the first on Whidbey Island to join an academically prestigious group.

The students, 73 in all, were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society Tuesday night, an honor that is still sinking in for some of them.

“I asked my dad how important this was and he said it’s kind of like a feather in your hat,” said Ben Olson, a 13-year-old seventh-grader.

Criteria for induction into the society include maintaining a cumulative 3.5 grade point average throughout middle school.

To remain a member, the inducted students are required to maintain that grade point average in addition to provide 30 hours of service to the community annually.

One student realizes how important the induction is to her future, although she is now only in seventh grade.

“I know it looks good on college resumes,” Kaitlyn Payne, 13, said. “When I knew I was accepted, I was excited to join because I knew it would be good.”

OHMS middle school teacher Amber Sundown-Schwartz began the application process to have students included in the society last year.

Sundown-Schwartz left employment with Oak Harbor School District at the end of last school year, but she passed the torch to sixth-grade science teacher Tim Litzenberger.

He pulled together the final details and will continue to advise the National Junior Honor Society students at OHMS.

Litzenberger will help the student members decide on and complete both individual and group community service work.

Additionally, he will ensure that society members uphold the five characteristics all National Junior Honor Society members are expected to uphold: scholarship, service, leadership, citizenship, and character.

OHMS sixth graders will have the chance to join the society in the spring.

You can reach News-Times reporter Christine Smith at csmith@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611