On Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m., the National Honors Society had their induction ceremony for newly nominated MCHS students in the Upper Campus auditorium.
NHS was founded in 1921, and its history spans decades at MCHS.
The purpose of the NHS is to elevate students’ academics, leadership and community engagement. NHS offers a scholarship only offered to NHS members, limiting the amount of competition students may face. It is usually a positive addition to any college application.
Juniors and seniors with a GPA of 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA are invited, and a number of MCHS students are admitted each year, whether a student chooses to apply or not.
These students who apply must write an essay about each of the four pillars and share some of their accomplishments. Only then will a few anonymous staff judges use a score sheet to “score” each essay. Depending on the score will determine if a student becomes a member.
When inducted at a ceremony, one will become a member of the society and serve their community.
“As a member of the NHS, the biggest thing is service hours,” says NHS President Madison Harvey. “One of the main purposes of the NHS is to get well-rounded students involved in the community through various service opportunities.”
Members are admitted through an induction ceremony and must maintain certain attributes while being a member.
“I would encourage others to join because this is a great opportunity for colleges to see you from multiple aspects,” says NHS Vice President Kaitlyn Willis. “NHS is all about the four pillars Scholarship, Leadership, Character and Service.”
The society is primarily student-run as much as possible. The board members do most of the work as far as holding meetings, logging hours, etc.
“Leadership is a huge component of the NHS,says NHS advisor Jamie Rosinski. “ I try to have it student-run as much as possible. Our board members do most of the work. I am here for their guidance, but also to help find volunteer opportunities, help organize our big events, etc.”
The board members themselves are the ones that overlook the society and organize events and create service opportunities.
“Speaking for myself as President,” explains Harvey, “I have a variety of responsibilities. One of the most important things is communicating with the entire group about service opportunities and community events.”
New inductees have joined the society to help the community and stand out toward post-secondary plans.
“The reason I joined,” says new inductee into the NHS Dominik Plancon, “was because I’m trying to give myself as many options as possible for college to get potential scholarships if I want to get into a school with a big price tag. But, it is actually because I like helping people. I find it enjoyable. I think people in this world are beautiful and helping them is one of my biggest joys in life. Even if I am a bit anxious about getting inducted at a big social event, I look forward to making it official.”
Service hours toward the community is recognized with a stole on graduation day if one keeps up 20 service hours in each year of membership.
“As a member of the NHS,” Harvey says, “the biggest thing is service hours. One of the main purposes of NHS is to get well-rounded students involved in the community through various service opportunities. They are also a big part of our annual event, which has not been announced yet for this year.”.
NHS gives students ways to give back to the community while being honored and recognized as a high-achieving student within the district.
“At this time,” Harvey says, “it is too late for upperclassmen to join since they had to be invited, but underclassmen can keep their grades up. For now, they should focus on being involved in things at school and getting mostly A’s in their classes.”
Generally, being a part of the NHS demonstrates academic prowess, good character and a dedication to service, which are all positives to most admissions committees.
