National Honor Society (NHS) is a national organization that has over one million high school student members across the United States. This club teaches important life skills and aims to help students develop their leadership proficiency by fostering innovation and initiative. NHS advisors help to empower student leaders to create and direct effective and impactful service projects to benefit the community surrounding them.
The HSE NHS chapter opened applications to incoming juniors and seniors for the 2025-2026 school year, and applications closed on March 10 at the end of the school day. Students must fill out an application inquiring about their reasoning for joining the club. They also must have three different teachers fill out recommendations, maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher, and have acceptable attendance and discipline records. After acceptance, these requirements are checked each semester to ensure every student is representing NHS’s values and standards accurately.
Member selections are made by a faculty committee and the NHS advisors. Selection is based on four criteria, also referred to as the four pillars of NHS—character, leadership, scholarship, and service.
Kari Richardson is one of the NHS advisors. “The pillar of character stresses strong moral principles, ethical behavior, and integrity” Richardson said. “Leadership, focusing on developing positive influence and initiative; scholarship, emphasizing academic achievement and a love of learning; and service, highlighting a commitment to volunteerism and community involvement.” Members are expected to model these pillars.
“I love NHS because of the opportunity it gives me to give back to my school and community,” said Sophia Listenfelt, junior and NHS member. “It helps me explore new things that I have never thought of before.”
The Carrie Colglazier Workday, where students work around the community for donations to a scholarship fund awarded to a senior, is one of her favorite opportunities through the club because “I helped in a local small business’ plant nursery which was super fun,” Listenfelt said. “It also put me out of my comfort zone and challenged me.” Students are randomly assigned to do tasks around the community and are responsible for reaching out to their employer to communicate timing and their job responsibilities. “I made new friends, and it helped me to be more confident in myself and communication skills,” Listenfelt said.
NHS is a reputed club with over 17,000 chapters throughout the country. “It’s a great club that can get you connected to a lot of unique people with different skill sets,” Listenfelt said, before encouraging juniors and seniors to take advantage of the opportunity they have to join National Honor Society. “It gives you leadership and character skills that will set you up for success in a future career.”
