By Debbie Adams
The Beta Club at William Byrd High School inducted 72 seniors into the prestigious
organization in a ceremony at the school on Oct. 6. The club was chartered at William Byrd in
1960; the year 2025 marks its 65th year at WBHS.
ceremony on Oct. 6. (photos by Debbie Adams)
Principal Evan Noell welcomed inductees and their guests to the ceremony and explained the
qualifications necessary for becoming a Beta Club member.
“To be invited to become a part of this organization, rising seniors must have a grade point
average of 3.75 or higher. In addition, they must be willing to serve their communities by
completing at least 10 hours of community service throughout their senior year.
“The main objectives of Beta Club are to set an example for the entire student body and to
promote the four pillars of achievement, character, leadership, and service.”
Members of the club next reviewed those four pillars.
Senior Braeden Booth talked about achievement, the first pillar of Beta.
“Achievement, clearly defined, is a result gained by effort. By being invited to become a
Beta member, we’ve already accomplished a great achievement, but it shouldn’t stop now.
Maintaining one’s membership requires dedication and a focus on daily accomplishments.
Betas are encouraged to stay motivated in order to maintain success within this pillar.
Challenge yourself, Betas: set goals, overcome obstacles, continually improve, and do your
best both academically and beyond.”
Lily Carrell talked about the pillar of character.
“When Beta’s founder, Dr. John W. Harris, founded National Beta in 1934, he set out to create
an organization that helped students learn to make a life for themselves. He knew that an
individual of moral character, who understood charity, cooperation, honesty, responsibility, and
humility, would be able to move forward in life with the skills needed to work with others and
give back to their community. By emphasizing character as one of the four pillars, we are being
prepared for life and empowered to be successful.”
New member Caleb Brunk talked about the third pillar of Beta— leadership.
“Our generation will one day become the leaders of tomorrow. We’ll need to learn how to
properly translate vision into reality and to guide our fellow peers in the right direction through
effective planning, decision making, communication, and teamwork. But above all, we’ll need
patience and a willingness to lead by example. By becoming a Beta, we’re already embarking on
a path to learn these skills. Once gained, we’ll be in a unique position to make a difference in our
school, community, state, and beyond.”
Senior Makenzie Scott explained the final pillar of Beta— service.
“Service and leadership are closely tied for Beta members through the demonstration of our
motto ‘Let Us Lead by Serving Others.’ The Beta organization’s founder believed that it
was not only our duty, but a privilege to serve our community. Through service, may we
begin to think of others before ourselves. Betas, I encourage you to make a habit of
recognizing needs, big or small, in our school and community, and then to make your fellow
members aware of those needs. Together, we will work to address these issues and make an
impact on those around us.”
Noell next called the name of each inductee for 2025-2026 as they were presented with
membership certificates: Jeremy Abbott, Joshua Abbott, Kyndall Agee, Joshua Allen, Andrew
Bartley, Kelsey Bell, Ainsley Bolen, Sawyer Bolen, Braeden Booth, Aubrey Booze, Tyson
Brady, Jacob Bray, Abigail Brigdon, Sophia Brown, Caleb Brunk, Kendra Brunk, Kaylin
Bumgarner, Jenna Bunce, Olivia Bustamante, Lily Carrell, Anna Carter, Tyler Chambers,
Addison Clark, Asher Claybrook, Sydney Coles, Jaelyn English, Katelynn Franks, Hailie Garst,
Elizabeth Gheen, Braelynn Gibson, Chloe Gill, Sofia Gonzalez, Ryleigh Grubb, Brooke Hershel,
Taylor Jacobsen, Macabe James, Cary Jones, Brooke Justus, Tate Kotz, Shelby Krawczyk,
Tatianna Kubik, Carleigh Leonard, Carter Leonard, Kenady Leonard, Brooklyn Linick, Elizabeth
Martinez, Ryan McIntyre, Collin Mills, Miley Moses, Charlotte Mullen, Lindsay Murtaugh,
Emily Ngo, Jayden Niday, Lilian Perez, Mallory Peroulas, Bethany Pittenger, Gabrielle Romeo,
Kyle Saccocci, Makenzie Scott, Napiray Sierra Prin, Mitchell Sigafoes, Bryce Simpson, Mallory
Summo, Ethan Sutton, Kaeleigh Swan, Annabelle Teague, Dixie Venable, Aliyah Ware, Lucy
Whitenack, Noah Williams, Darin Witcher, and Peyton Wright.
Noell told the inductees that “there is no better type of leadership than servant leadership. I
encourage you to never be satisfied, stand up for what is right, and choose greatness.”
The students took the Beta Pledge to “be honest and truthful, to maintain academic excellence,
and conduct myself in an ethical manner. I am dedicated to serving others and contributing to the
collective success of my peers.”
