This past Tuesday, St. Dominic inducted over 100 junior and senior students into the National Honors Society. During the induction ceremony, students participated in the NHS pledge along with receiving their official certificate, recognizing them as an outstanding student.
Although the night was one to remember, the process of getting into NHS is difficult. First students receive a notice saying they have been nominated for NHS, then they must apply and wait for a letter of acceptance.
“I think the most difficult part of getting into NHS is the application process and being accepted officially through the organization,” librarian Mrs. O’Keefe said.
Once they are accepted, students are invited to attend the formal ceremony, which focuses on the four pillars of NHS. Scholarship, leadership, service, and character serve as the foundation of NHS and provide guidelines for all members to follow.
“It’s super nice having the four pillars to look up too and follow. I like to go by guidelines, and NHS provides just that,” senior Erica Jurgensmeyer said.
To honor the pillar of scholarship students must maintain above a 3.7 GPA. Although this might sound tricky, many St. Dominic students excel in their academics, which makes the task simple. Having a high grade point average not only creates a valuable candidate for NHS, but also reflects students’ drive and dedication.
“Maintaining a high GPA is hard, but that’s what makes a good NHS student. It’s something you have to work hard for, but it is extremely rewarding,” senior Ava Gandolfo said.
At St. Dominic students are called upon to be leaders all time. Therefore, the pillar of Leadership is no stranger to the school community, especially amongst students. The National Honor Society is another way for students to take leadership roles and gain experience for the future.
“We have the four officers, who are our primary leaders. However, all NHS students are leaders just in different ways,” O’Keefe said.
Service is arguably the most important pillar of NHS, as it aligns with the Dominican Pillars. Each year students are asked to complete 25 service hours. However, after students are inducted into NHS they are required to tutor fellow students, gathering even more hours. While it sounds like a lot of work, St. Dominic students never take service opportunities for granted and often look forward to lending a helping hand.
“At the end of the day service isn’t about checking things off a list. Instead, it’s about creating ourselves to be future brothers and sisters in service to help those in need,” Father Patrick Russell said.
The last pillar focuses on having, and maintaining good character. Although character is hard to understand it often relates to being well rounded. While a student might have a high GPA, if they aren’t an active leader, they aren’t considered well-rounded. In order to be inducted into NHS, a student must follow all the rules each pillar provides.
“Time-management, perseverance, and hard work are all aspects of maintaining a good character. Having a good character requires balance between school, but also having a good time,” senior Cameron Schwent said.
Becoming a member of the National Honor Society might sound time-consuming but don’t let it scare you. Dominic’s current program continues to grow larger each year and will continue to do so in the future. Last Tuesday’s induction ceremony was a success, and a huge congratulations goes out to new members!
