National Honor Society
What is NHS?
NHS stands for National Honor Society. This is an organization that has chapters all around the world, including right here at Ike! Members of NHS are committed to maintaining the four pillars of membership and setting an example for their school. The four pillars of membership are scholarship, service, leadership, and character. This means that members maintain high GPAs, complete monthly service hours, take on leadership roles, and maintain good character by actively displaying I.K.E..
Am I eligible to join NHS?
By the time this newspaper is published, the students who are eligible to join NHS will already have applied and been notified of their acceptance. However, if you missed your chance to apply this year, you can still apply next year (unless you’re a current senior). To be eligible to join NHS, a student must have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA, or a 3.4 with AP credits. This means that your total GPA for all of the high school classes you’ve taken must equal 3.5 or 3.4, depending on whether or not you take AP classes. Students must also be on track with all graduation requirements, including two years of a foreign language, and must take electives that are academic in nature, such as extra higher level math, science, and/or AP electives.
To be able to apply, students must have already completed at least 10-20 hours of community service (depending on your grade level), be engaged in a leadership role (such as a club officer or student leader in the classroom), be involved in extracurricular activities, showing proof of good character. So, overall, if your GPA is high enough, if you have enough volunteer hours, if you participate in a school activity, and if your teachers can attest that you have a strong character, you may be eligible for NHS.
What happens after you join NHS?
Once you have been officially accepted and inducted into NHS, you will attend a business meeting once a month before school. NHS business meetings typically take place on the first Friday of the month at 7:00 AM. As a member, you need to continue to keep up your grades, service hours, and leadership and character traits up. Grades are checked each term to ensure that your GPA is in compliance with NHS standards. Members of NHS also have to complete a minimum of 2 community service hours each month and submit a log on the 5th of every month (with the exception of summer vacation months) showing proof of service, such as adult verification or a picture of the service taking place. In order for volunteer work to count toward your NHS hours, it must benefit an organization of people, not just one person. For example, mowing your neighbor’s lawn doesn’t count toward your two hours (although you are still encouraged to track all of your volunteer hours in your log, regardless of whether they count or not!). However, serving food for a homeless shelter would count. It is also important to take part in at least one extracurricular activity each school year and maintain a strong character while you are a member of NHS.
I didn’t get accepted, now what?
If your application to join NHS was rejected, you can still reapply next year. In the meantime, work on strengthening any weak points that may have prevented you from being able to join NHS. For example, use this time to boost your grades, complete more service hours (and make sure to collect proof of those hours!), get involved in an after school activity, and show off your positive character traits to your teachers. Good luck!
What are the benefits of being a member of NHS?
While NHS may seem intimidating or difficult to keep up with, being a member is a very enjoyable and rewarding experience! The simple fact that you are a member of National Honor Society looks very good on college applications, and the expectations that members live up to are rewarding in themselves. Maintaining a high GPA, regularly volunteering, and staying involved with your school are all great ways to contribute to a happier life and to your community. At meetings you will learn leadership and business tips, get lessons about recommendation letters, and information about community service opportunities. You have access to NHS only scholarships, and an advisor who will help you with college/scholarship essays. If you are planning on going to college, joining NHS is one of the best decisions you can make!
What if my question wasn’t answered in this article?
If you have a question about NHS that wasn’t addressed here, you can contact Ms. Guerrero, the advisor of NHS, at:
or stop by room 420 before or after school.
Who made it this year?
Elbethel Alemeneh
Emma Coleman
Mariah Cornejo
Niko Evangelista
Brandon Garcia-Cabrera
Misael Garcia Tellez
Valeria Garza
Easton Greene
Ethan Gu
Gabriella Hawkins
Mariel Ibarra
Zakai Kimel
Kayla King
Evangeline Knerr
Aylin Llamas
Guadalupe Luna
Olivia Martin
Jaqueline Montes-Dorantes
Kimberly Zapata