Minnesota Student Wins Top National Honor Society Award

The National Honor Society (NHS) named Feven Tesfaye, a senior at Burnsville High School in Burnsville, MN, the $25,000 National Honor Society Scholarship winner. She was selected from more than 16,000 applicants. NHS is supported by its parent organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), which also administers the National Association of Student Councils.

"Winning the National Honor Society Scholarship honestly feels surreal," said Feven. "NHS has been such an important community that's helped me to dream bigger and do more."

As the sole student representative on the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School Board, she represents more than 7,000 students and elevates student voice in district decision-making. She also serves on the Minnesota Youth Council, advocating for over 1.3 million young people and partnering with state legislators and agencies to advance equity-driven policy. She previously worked as a statewide youth voter outreach intern in the office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, leading voter registration initiatives that expand access to democracy. Nationally, she serves on the Board of the National Youth Leadership Council and Civic Caucus and hosts the "What Cause Inspires You?" podcast, amplifying student advocates driving change. She has been selected as a delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program, is a two-time Presidential Gold Service Award recipient, and a Speech and Debate Academic All-American. At school, she holds leadership roles in NHS, student council, and a blood drive committee.

NHS awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to 600 high school seniors this year. Four of the top finalists were awarded a $10,625 scholarship for embodying the pillars of NHS membership: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. The recipients of these awards are Pragna Yalavarthy from Arvada, CO, for Scholarship; Emma Escobar from Roma, TX, for Service; Nihar Patel from Fairfield, OH, for Leadership; and Sloane Wolfe from Morgantown, PA, for Character. Twenty finalists received $5,625 and the national winner received $25,000. Their bios are here.

"What Feven has accomplished before even finishing high school is a reminder of what young people can do when they are given the tools and the trust to lead," said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. "We are proud to recognize this outstanding work and excited to see what comes next."

The announcement is part of NASSP's National Education Leadership Awards gala, bringing together the National Honor Society Scholarship winners, National Association of Student Councils Scholarship winners, the Advocacy Champion of the Year finalists, and State Assistant Principals and Principals of the Year.

Photos and interviews available upon request.