Following the unexpected ice storms that drifted across Missouri, the Knights of the Roundtable ceremony has been moved to Thursday, March 10. Anticipation grew for this yearly event that celebrates students’ accomplishments, however, with road conditions being as they were the date had to be changed. While devastating for some of the students, it did provide some benefits. 

“Honestly it was a good thing because I hadn’t found a good outfit yet,” Sophie Stachula, senior nominated for Knights of the Roundtable said. “That gave me a little extra time to go find one. I am really eager to find out [who nominated me]”

The annual Knights of the Roundtable ceremony offers each teacher the opportunity to nominate a student they felt was deserving of recognition. There is no set criteria that determines which students are nominated or what they need to do. It’s all about spreading positivity in the community and displaying some of the many reasons our students are so great. 

“It can be very diverse,” Abigail Schmitt, a senior nominated to Knights of the Roundtable said. “Teachers connect very differently with all of their students, so teachers aren’t going to pick the same type of students every time. It goes to show that anyone can be nominated. It doesn’t matter how well you do in school, or what your GPA is, or how many activities you’re in.” 

Each individual that is nominated will receive a medal and a pamphlet with a description of all the other students receiving this honor and what they did to earn it. But crucially during the ceremony the teachers tell each student in-person why they were nominated. They offer that valuable face-to-face feedback that makes students feel so special. 

“To me this feels like I am doing well enough in my school and connecting well enough with any number of my teachers, that they would nominate me,” Schmitt said. “I know that I’m a hard worker especially when it comes to my schoolwork.”

Ultimately, this event is something that a lot of high schoolers hope to be a part of and strive for. It helps give a glimpse into the way that they represent themselves in the classroom and how much of an impact they can have on their teachers regardless of alternate factors. We all have something that makes us special. 

“Whether a student does or doesn’t know their worth, it highlights how important they really are.” Stachula said. “Some things like being nominated for Knights of the Roundtable could make all the difference to a student that doesn’t know how valuable they are.”