Two D135 Students Receive NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award

ORLAND PARK, IL — Two Orland Park middle schoolers are among a small national pool of students recognized for their academic achievements by the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). On Monday night, Orland School District 135 recognized the students at its regular Board of Education meeting at Jerling Junior High.

Century Jr. High School's Mihael Karanastasis and Adunola Ogedengbe both received the NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award. The honor recognizes 500 exceptional NJHS students in the country, awarding them with $500 that will be reserved in a college savings account until ready to use.

A total of 10 Illinois students received the award. According to D135, recipients are chosen based on their demonstrated work to support the five pillars of NJHS, which are scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship.

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"Orland School District 135 is proud to announce that Mihael Karanastasis and Adunola Ogedengbe have been selected as NJHS Outstanding Achievement Award recipients ... We are
very proud that [two] of these awards have been awarded to OSD 135 students," D135 stated during the recognition.

Ogedengbe told Patch that receiving the honor means a lot to her.

"It's such a great honor to be a part of because it shows how I'm able to serve my community and serve others," Ogedengbe told Patch. "That overall goal of citizenship, leadership, scholarship —all those pillars of NJHS — it's great to be able to recognize that I represent all those pillars, and I hope to be a leading example to others."

Ogedengbe will be starting her freshman year at Consolidated High School District 230's Sandburg High School this fall. Excited to continue her education, Ogedengbe is already thinking about her college plans.

"I would love to go into the field of medicine," Ogedengbe said. "Either an anesthesiologist, an OBGYN or a psychiatrist. Those fields really interests me."

See the school district recognize Ogedengbe and Karanastasis at its regular Board of Education meeting here.

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