Dunham eighth grader Kari Johnson has received the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) Outstanding Achievement Award, given annually to 500 exceptional members nationwide.

Kari is the third consecutive Dunham student to receive this national recognition. The daughter of Eric and Deidra Johnson, she has been a NJHS member since the sixth grade and has served the Dunham NJHS chapter as secretary and as the current president.

“What I enjoy most about NJHS is the godly character it requires. When we do service projects we have to do it out of our hearts,” Kari said. “In the Bible, it states that ‘the Lord does not look at outward appearance, but he looks at the heart.’ The service projects allow us to use our godly character to bless the lives of others.”

Local chapter advisers nominate current NJHS members who have demonstrated excellence in the five pillars of NJHS: scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship.

“Kari is very deserving of this award,” said Dunham NJHS advisor Gerri Bove. “With her academic achievements and many extra curricular activities, she manages her busy schedule well and also makes time to focus on the needs of others. She shows tremendous care in everything she does.”

Her favorite NJHS service project is Laundry Love where students work together to fill plastic bags with laundry detergent to be distributed to those in need. “Laundry Love is my favorite service project because it is innovative, considerate and the entire NJHS (chapter) is involved.”

The NJHS offers this annual Outstanding Achievement Award to help middle school students “jump-start their quest toward higher education.” Kari will receive a $500 award to be placed in a college savings account.