“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.” With those words, University of Montana Western Professor Dr. John Xanthopoulos urged the Jefferson High National Honor Society members to strive for excellence at an April 24 induction ceremony.
Thirteen sophomores and one junior were honored with induction into the group that honors scholarship, character, leadership and service. The honorees were Mattie Brustkern, Sammy DeMartin, Carson Dodge, Kath- ryn Fowler, Bryce Harrington, Simonie Mendenhall, Olivia Pe- gram, Abby Rosenbaum, Kaela Rosenbaum, Drake Schake, Emma Stout, Callie Warfle, Samuel Williams and Jeremias Auch.
Dr. Xanthopoulos, or “Dr. X” as the JHS students called him, was invited by the honor society members to speak. They came to know and like him when he supervised JHS graduate Cody Ott- man in his student teaching assignment in Boulder this year. A native of Athens, Greece, he came to the U.S. at age 13 in 1968 and earned college and graduate degrees including political science, history, international law, education and social sciences. Since 2001 he has been a professor of education and social sciences in Dillon. For the basis of his address to the students, Xanthopoulos went back to Greek philosopher Epictetus.
