Steward’s Science National Honor Society

When several students pitched the possibility of forming a Science National Honor Society (SNHS) chapter to Upper School Science Teacher Joe Hardcastle in 2024, he loved the idea. The SNHS aims to “engender young thinkers who will be the future of industry, research, and scientific exploration.” 

Mr. Hardcastle contacted the SNHS headquarters to establish a Steward chapter and invited students to apply. “Now we have a full-fledged chapter, with 30 Upper School members,” he said proudly. Mr. Hardcastle serves as advisor for the chapter, which meets regularly on campus and held a formal induction ceremony on December 4.  

Steward’s SNHS chapter embodies the school’s core values (academic achievement, care & respect, civil discourse, individuality, innovation, and inspiration). Members must have and maintain a 3.0 GPA across all classes and a 3.5 GPA across all sciences and are required to engage in science-related projects and contribute at least four hours of their time each year. Some team up to organize larger projects, while others take on individual projects. 

“Projects for this school year range from facilitating visits from guest speakers to presenting on a science topic to the greater community,” said Mr. Hardcastle. The chapter recently welcomed Joseph J. Saady, a consultant toxicologist from Saady Consulting, Incorporated. 

“Having speakers come in to talk with the society about their field is one of the most meaningful ways to increase my knowledge about the specifics of having a job in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics],” said Clara Cason ’27. “As someone who hopes to study physical science and later work in related fields, meeting a professional with firsthand experience in my areas of interest helps me recognize whether or not I can see myself in that field.”

Several students are currently organizing demonstrations of different scientific phenomena for Middle and Lower School students, which will take place throughout the school year. In 2025, SNHS students presented a chemistry demonstration and made “elephant toothpaste” by combining hydrogen peroxide, yeast, dish soap, and water. The combination of ingredients creates lots of bubbles that erupt into foam. 

This year, our student-scientists will welcome Dr. Victoria Keuster, an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at the VCU Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, who will share her career highlights. NSHS members also hope to organize a science fair for their Middle School peers. 

Clara noted that being a member of the Science National Honor Society allows her to connect and collaborate with like-minded students who have a passion and curiosity for science. 

“I have been able to observe my peers’ excitement toward learning about and sharing the niche areas of science that interest them,” noted Clara, who is keenly interested in aerodynamics. “Steward's chapter of the SNHS creates the opportunity for students to explore the world of science through a specialized lens. We get to further our scientific learning, in turn amplifying our grasp on a large variety of science-related topics.”