The National Honor Society was established on March 1, 1921 by the National Association of Secondary School Principles. The National Honor Society is an organization that revolves around students’ leadership, character, and academic achievements.
Most people view the National Honor Society as a volunteering opportunity, and they would be right, but the NHS has so much more meaning and expectations than just volunteering. It has so many roles that people fill to run the organization.
Sophia Wang, a senior, is the president of the National Honor Society at Lincoln East High School. Being the president, Wang organizes board meetings, delegates tasks, and is the main one giving presentations.
“I organize our board meetings and we have those once a month, and we go over what we want to do for the next month and look for volunteer opportunities,” Wang said.
There are strict requirements to meet when being a member of the National Honor Society. Members have to get a certain amount of hours and volunteering opportunities as a way to show their membership. They have to get 25 points the first semester and then an additional 15 points during the second semester. By the end of the year, members should have 40 points from volunteering. Members are also required to volunteer an external 10 hours beside their five hours with the National Honor Society. At the end of the year, if a member accomplishes all the requirements, they are rewarded with a medal on behalf of all their hard work.
The National Honor Society looks to be a diverse group. Picking people from many extracurriculars creates connections that the organization is able to rely on and get their events out there.
“We might have students who are more academically rigorous, and although they don’t do as much of the leadership stuff, they showed that they worked really hard,” Wang said. “Or maybe we have people like athletes, who spend a lot of their time doing sports and being committed and making connections through that.”
Alongside Wang are her other board members. These members are in charge of taking attendance, finding volunteering opportunities, and expanding connections. Among them is Gavin Foust, a senior, the vice president of Lincoln East National Honor Society. Foust is primarily in charge of volunteering and keeping an updated instagram account to inform students about what National Honor Society is keeping up to.
“It shows that you’re involved in the community and you’re willing to put your best foot forward,” Foust said. “You’re trying to help a cause without any sort of reward.”
Colleges view being a member of the National Honor Society as an impactful and meaningful extracurricular. Students have the ability to organize projects, which shows colleges and universities your local impact and your ability to take initiative. Points can also come from members writing thank you cards and essays about the pillar of leadership, character, and service. When students apply themselves as a senior in high school, they stand out to these universities showing their dedication and having pride for being a part of this organization.
“The purpose of NHS is scholarship, responsibility, leadership, and stepping forward with your own initiatives, making sure you’re helping out the community and outreach,” Foust said.
