This year, the National Honors Society at BRP welcomed 15 new inductees! The National Honors Society(NHS) is an organization designed to recognize students who have been doing amazing work inside and outside of the classroom. In order to join NHS, a student must have been a part of the BRP community for at least 3 semesters (1.5 years) and must maintain a 3.9 GPA. However, they must also be a student who embodies the 4 core values of NHS in their daily life.
But what exactly are these principles?
The four pillars are Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. Scholarship is the one most people think of first. This pillar represents the lifelong love for learning. Service, the second pillar, is helping others with no gain for yourself. But service also often comes with a sacrifice. It means giving up free time or socializing. The NHS inductees are expected to dedicate a portion of their schedule to having a positive impact on others’ lives.
The next pillar is Leadership, and that means setting an example for peers. One new inductee, Nico Bermudez, upholds the pillar of Leadership by helping kids in the lower school with soccer. This past year, he worked in a clinic with kids from the lower school to help improve their skills. When asked why he found it important to help younger kids he said: “It was fun playing soccer with the kids, teaching them things.I would correct them, play in scrimmages. And I really feel like I got something out of it too.”
The final pillar is Character. This pillar represents how students strive to be a strong voice and being an advocate for themselves and for their community. Another new inductee, Margaux Mayward, has upheld the pillar of character by being a school ambassador since her freshman year: “Meeting new people forces me to put myself out there which makes me grow as a person. Welcoming new people into the community is a rewarding experience, and I love to do it. It does not feel like a chore.”
Each of these pillars were described by current NHS members to the inductees, before they were read their pledge, so they could fully understand what their new found expectations are as an NHS member! Each of these pillars represents something that is key to making NHS’s members well rounded individuals. But even though they have been inducted, their journey is far from over. Now, they must live up to the values they have agreed to embody.
They will do this by taking part in many events and projects that are aimed at improving both the BRP community and the world.This past October, NHS hosted a breast cancer awareness town hall, where personal stories, and statistics were shared with the BRP community. This town hall was followed by an 8 minute walk representing 1 in 8 women that are affected by breast cancer. The rest of that week we sold wristbands, pins and baked goods to raise money for the cause. Later this year, NHS hosted a week-long bake sale for the earthquakes in Turkey. This year, NHS also launched a peer tutoring program, designed to help students connect and learn from each other. As NHS grows, so does the work that it does for the community. The talented individuals who were inducted into the society are bound for great work within the community. Congratulations to them, and we look forward to seeing their work in our community next year!
Comments