The National Honor Society (NHS) named Maurits Acosta, a senior at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Sr High School in Hialeah, Florida, the $10,625 National Honor Society Leadership winner.
“Being part of the National Honor Society transformed my understanding of what it means to lead with purpose and integrity,” said Maurits, who was chosen from more than 16,000 applicants. “From organizing our chapter’s first-ever trip to the LEAD Conference in Washington D.C. to serving as committee chair for various initiatives, NHS taught me that real leadership happens when we lift others up.”
Maurits Acosta represents more than 350,000 students in America’s third-largest school district as the elected student advisor to the Miami-Dade County school board. Born in the Netherlands to Cuban parents, he moved to the United States in 2015 and has since dedicated himself to building the next generation of our country’s civic leaders. In 2022, he founded Virtutem Populo, Inc., a student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting civic engagement and community involvement among youth in Florida. Through the organization, he has raised more than $50,000 for civic education and reached more than 3,000 students with impactful educational programs. In 2024, he was named a delegate to the United States Senate Youth Program and the National PTA Outstanding Youth Advocate of the Year. This spring he will graduate with his associate in arts degree from Miami-Dade College. He plans to study government at Harvard University.
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 Jazmin Garza from Mercedes, Texas, for Scholarship; Nishita Karikatti from Oro Valley, Arizona, for Service; and Natalie Hodge from Anchorage, Alaska, for Character – and the Florida National Honor Society Leadership winner for Leadership. Twenty finalists received $5,625. Pritika Kharkwal from Frisco, Texas earned the $25,000 scholarship.
Their bios are online.
“I’m blown away by the impact these NHS Scholarship winners have had already,” said National Association of Secondary School Principals CEO Ronn Nozoe. “From publishing books to developing lifesaving technology, they’ve gone above and beyond in their service, showing us the true spirit of what NHS stands for.”
NHS is supported by its parent organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), which also administers the National Association of Student Councils.
The announcement is part of NASSP’s National Education Leadership Awards gala, bringing together the 2025 State Assistant Principals of the Year and the NHS Scholarship finalists to celebrate their accomplishments and connect with one another. NASSP also announced the National Assistant Principals of the Year and the National Advocacy Champion of the Year during the event.
PHOTO: Maurits Acosta and NASSP President Raquel Martinez and NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe
Maurits is outstanding! Honored to have met him.