Brick Student Earns National Honor 2 Years In A Row

BRICK, NJ — A Brick Township student has been awarded the National Junior Honor Society's Outstanding Achievement Award for 2026, the second straight year she has received the award.

Riel Norman, an eighth-grader at Lake Riviera Middle School, is among 500 students across the United States to receive the award.

It honors middle school students for their commitment to "the five pillars of NJHS: scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship," according to the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the office of the National Junior Honor Society, which present the award.

The 500 students chosen for the award receive a $500 college savings plan to support their education plans beyond high school.

"We are incredibly proud of Riel for this well-deserved recognition," said Brittany Bucco, the principal at Lake Riviera Middle School. "This award reflects the dedication and integrity that Riel brings to everything she does, and we are honored to celebrate this achievement alongside her family."

Riel's selection for the second straight year is "a rare distinction that speaks to her sustained excellence and continued commitment to the values the honor society holds highest," a news release on the award said.

In addition to the $500 for her college savings, Riel will receive "a commemorative gift to mark this milestone," the organization said.

The National Junior Honor Society Outstanding Achievement Award is a nationally recognized honor that celebrates student leaders who go above and beyond in their schools and communities. Recipients are notified directly by NASSP and the NJHS national office.