The Exeter Township School District celebrated the achievements of students as 59 juniors and seniors were inducted into the Claude W. Dundore chapter of the National Honor Society and four notable alumni, educators or community members were inducted into the Exeter Alumni Association’s Academic Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 11, 2023. Those inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame were Timothy Wright, Ph.D., an internationally-recognized biomechanical scientist; Brian Roberts, an infantry lieutenant colonel in the Army; Lucy Lutz, a retired science teacher from the Exeter Township School District; and Julia Huckleberry, one of the founders of the district’s Alumni Association. Inductees are chosen for their contributions to society and their impact and credit they've brought to the Exeter Township School District through their achievements, volunteerism and/or work.

During his career, Dr. Wright has developed biomechanical implant systems for knee, hip and elbow replacement that have gone on to commercial distribution to patients worldwide. He’s written more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and has lectured around the world at hospitals and medical schools. He has appointments in New York at Cornell University, and the Hospital for Special Surgery, where he currently serves in the Department of Biomechanics working with surgeons and other engineers to research and develop systems to improve care for patients with orthopedic conditions. He’s developed numerous patents and awards for outstanding research and significant lifetime contributions in orthopedics. He is a 1967 graduate of Exeter; a graduate of Lehigh University, where he received his undergraduate degree; and Stanford University, where he received his graduate degrees. Dr. Wright was unable to attend the awards ceremony; however, he thanked the committee for his recognition and selection through prepared remarks. “This is a wonderful honor. I”ve been fortunate to have an ongoing career of 47 years working at the intersection of engineering and medicine. Looking back at my time at Exeter High, the highlight was teachers like the late Harry Shank, who instilled in me a thirst for knowledge and the leadership and teamwork skills that I learned playing sports and serving on the Key Club.”

Lt. Col. Brian Roberts was commissioned as an infantry officer in 2006 from the United States Military Academy at West Point. As a system evaluator in the Army, he leads military and civilian teams to develop and modernize future combat systems. He holds a Masters of Arts in Defense and Strategy from the U.S. Naval War College and is a 2002 graduate of Exeter Township Senior High School.

Lucy Lutz worked as an Exeter science teacher in the Junior High and Senior High for more than 36 years, retiring in 2007 and continuing to substitute regularly until 2014. She began her teaching career at Albright College in the biology department as an undergraduate. Following her graduation from Albright in 1968, she studied at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she earned a master’s degree in Zoology, focusing on research of the physiology, life history and paleontology of bats. Despite her academic achievements and years of experience, Mrs. Lutz joked during her acceptance that “I will be remembered as the one who you called to fix the copy machine.”

Julia Huckleberry graduated from Exeter in 1966 and has spent most of her time since then serving the district either professionally as an administrative assistant or as a volunteer. In 2009, she was an instrumental figure in the creation of the Exeter Eagles Alumni Association, which is primarily responsible for the development, selection and distribution of scholarships to graduates. Since its inception, the scholarship committee of the association distributes approximately $30,000 through 30 different scholarships from alumni or friends of alumni. During his induction of her, Mr. John Fidler, an Exeter Academic Hall of Fame committee member, recalled the story of how a family called the association in the hopes of creating a scholarship in the name of Exeter’s football coach, Leonard Meckalavage. After a few moments of confusion, Mrs. Huckleberry realized that the family had meant to call the alumni association of Exeter High School in New Hampshire. Still, she proceeded to tell the family about the virtues of Exeter Township’s football program and coaches. The family was so impressed that they decided to award the scholarship to Exeter Township, where it is still given to a deserving student every year.

The Academic Hall of Fame began in 2005 as a project of the Exeter Community Education Foundation and typically selects four to six inductees each year. This year's class brings the number of honorees to 78, who are presented with a plaque, as well as their names added to a display in the Senior High's main office.

During the second part of the ceremony, the current members of the National Honor Society presented and inducted 59 new members from the Class of 2024 and 2025 into its chapter through its candle-lighting ceremony that represents the Society's four pillars: character, leadership, scholarship and service. To be considered for membership, students must be sophomores or juniors with a weighted cumulative GPA of at least 92.000, involvement in at least one school activity or club and completion of at least five community service hours. This year’s inductees are:

1. Harper Adams
2. Ryanne Ahmad
3. Perla Alvarado-Rueda
4. Griffin Beidler
5. Hannah Benderoth
6. Richter Bogust
7. Sasha Bolonski
8. Cheyenne Boyles
9. Joshua Brown
10. Ian Carr
11. Gabrielle Casalenuovo
12. Tyler Casiano-Rodriguez
13. Kate Dewald
14. Natalia Figueroa
15. Gillian Foster
16. Jysadee Giddens
17. Madison Grider
18. Taylor Hill
19. Katharine Hoover
20. Amy Ipsen
21. Gianna Johnson
22. Caitlin Jones
23. Tyler Jones
24. Cayden Juck
25. Alison Keim
26. Thaddeus Kidwell
27. Lyndsey Kline
28. Margaret Kopanski
29. Abby Kravetz
30. Rebecca Lee
31. Dorothy Liu
32. Molly Lubenow
33. Addison Matthews
34. Mary McGowan
35. Addison McKittrick
36. Kara Miller
37. Morgan Miller
38. Lucas Newell
39. Trang Nguyen
40. Stephania Nicoloudakis
41. Alexis Nonnemacher
42. Ethan Papich
43. Margaret Prock
44. Abigail Rathman
45. Haley Readinger
46. Ansel Reinbold
47. Aaron Scardecchio
48. Kayla Schafer
49. Lydia Smith
50. Alexa Speary
51. Kira Spencer
52. Alivia Spitz
53. Connor Stoltzfus
54. Finn Strauss
55. Rachelle Toaldo
56. Annabella Venezia
57. Logan Wegman
58. Ashton Wilson
59. Jordan Wolfe