The National Honors Society is an international organization on high school campuses that recognize top scholars and encourages community involvement . At Independence High School, The National Honors Society is a very successful program for Honors and AP students to grow and prosper in their academics; it also connects students as a community. NHS was originally founded in 1921 by The National Association of Secondary School Principals In Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. According to Nhs.us, “[It is] more than just an honor roll…[it] recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership and character.” The source also explained that the National Honors Society “[demonstrates] high standards of honesty and reliability; shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others; and generally maintains a clean disciplinary record.”

Senior Lili Gutierrez has been a member for  two years and is president of NHS at Independence. When Gutierrez was asked how being in NHS benefitted her as a person, she explained, “As a student it’s kind of helped me stay on track with time management and my grades because one of the requirements for NHS is that we have the best grades. It’s helped me become a better leader on campus.” Her advice to students that would like to be apart of NHS in coming years is “Definitely make your academics a priority because we are considered alete students and we have to set an example for everyone else. Be prepared to know what the requirements are because there are a lot, but it’s worth it. Not just because of your college applications, but because it helps you grow as a person in general.”

NHS Sponsor and Honors English teacher,  Mark Gaspar also said, “NHS is an invitation only society. It is not a club.” If a student is invited into the community, this is because Mr. Gaspar has decided that they are honorable students and great society material. Invited students also have the option to join or not. If they decide to join, they must attend all meetings.

Gaspar explained that in order to be invited students must be in the top 15% of their class with an “unweighted GPA of a 3.0.” Students who are interested in NHS should also know that freshmen are not allowed to be in the program. NHA is for juniors and seniors, and they must be in one AP class or two honors classes. There must also be no recent suspensions on their record, and once they are a member, they cannot be suspended or they are dropped from the program.

While in the NHS, members must participate in ten hours of community service and peer tutoring with teacher supervision. They are allowed to tutor any student in the school, but it must be after school or before school, not during school hours.

If you are a junior or sophomore this year, become the best student you can be to join NHS next year and enjoy the amazing experience and benefits that come from being a member of NHS.