Amelia Capellan – PCHS Bulletin
The induction ceremony for the 24-25 National Honors Society members was held in the PCHS auditorium building on April 17, at 6 pm. Each year, the membership selection process begins with meeting the base requirements (1. Being a member of the sophomore or junior class, 2. Enrolled for at least 1 semester at PCHS, 3. Have a minimum of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale; 4. Have no significant disciplinary history) and completing a candidate information form. NHS honors exemplary students who meet these requirements. This year, 40 students were inducted.
The National Honor Society is an organization that provides students with the knowledge and skills to become transformational leaders in their school, community, and more. The NHS is built on the four pillars of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
The Parrish Community chapter of the NHS looks for students who demonstrate these skills. They are selected by a majority vote of a 5-member faculty council. Students are invited to complete a Candidate Information Form if they meet the school and academic eligibility. Students are invited in January and those accepted are selected in April, followed by an induction ceremony run by the chapter advisor and current officers.
The National Honor Society promotes a school’s commitment to the core values of the organization. Earning a chapter of NHS is a grand accomplishment for a school and its leaders in managing a national recognition program that celebrates full assessment of student achievement.
National Honor Society membership is one of the highest honors awarded to a high school student. It is also an ongoing responsibility and an obligation to continue to demonstrate the qualities that resulted in their selection. Each member must become involved and show that they can handle such a responsibility. By empowering, championing, and recognizing well-rounded students, NHS provides schools with a value-based framework to elevate a community of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. These principles are transformative keys that unlock potential, enhance every student's educational journey, and empower them to make great contributions to the world.
Being part of the National Honor Society is a great honor awarded to students who enjoy connecting with their community and their school. It shows that you have the qualities and characteristics of a leader and can manage the responsibility of being a member.
“NHS, to me, means finding ways in which I can help others become part of the community. I love being able to locate organizations that could benefit from some fundraiser or even just more awareness about their program,” said Mia Gonzalez, Junior at PCHS and current president of NHS.
She believes having this program in school is important. There are benefits and lessons for students who join.
“By being in NHS, you are learning how to be understanding and considerate of others. I think that Peer Tutoring is a huge depiction of this, as students learn to help others in a way that is inclusive of anyone in need of help with school without criticizing anyone.”
“Students should apply for NHS to feel apart of a community and learn how to help others grow by taking initiative, not to mention it looks great for colleges to see, as NHS is a highly respected organization and offers a lot of leadership experience.”
Gonzalez believes that having an NHS program is very important to the school and offers an open community for students that “motivates them to strive for not just academic success, but also an understanding of those around them whether this may be fellow classmates, or other organizations in the community.”
While she enjoys being a part of NHS and improving the program at our school, it is not certain that she will be the president next year as there will be many other students, including Gonzalez, running for the position next year. The process for choosing the president for next year includes acknowledging the role that a student wants to run for (President, Secretary, or Treasurer), then presenting a short speech to the current members of the club who will vote on who they feel is most suited for each of the roles. Whichever student places second in the President category will be elected Vice President.
Elizabeth James, the chapter advisor of the NHS at our school, recommends that students involve themselves in their local and school communities to prepare for their applications to the NHS.
“I recommend making sure that you are able to participate in leadership roles, log community service hours through school, and have ways to demonstrate that you are a well-rounded student and community member (awards and involvement in extracurricular activities).”
The role of chapter advisor is important because the advisor gets to keep the program working on strengthening the school community with the four pillars that represent NHS. She said, “Being able to promote these attributes not only strengthens the individual, but also PCHS, and our community.” NHS runs the Peer Tutoring Program on campus in addition to volunteering for community events.
Being a chapter advisor is an important role for James. It has become a role she is very proud to hold because the students she gets to work with are “positive, motivated, and hardworking.” She went on to say it is a privilege to be part of their high school journey.
