How National Honor Society Shaped Me by Zachary

How National Honor Society Shaped Me by Zachary - December 2019 Scholarship Essay

Recently, I joined the National Honor Society (NHS) organization through my school and it has made a big impact in my life. In my previous years of high school, I was mainly focused on myself and didn’t really do a lot to give back to others. When I joined NHS, my outlook transformed so I saw more of what I could give rather than what I could get. I started to think about how I could help because that’s what NHS is about. One of its purposes is to help students get involved. In our NHS chapter, there are opportunities to serve and volunteer. I have helped with numerous school based service activities like “Tackle Cancer” and the blood drive as well as many other ones outside of school.

Being active in helping and volunteering my time has taught me more than just serving others though. It has also taught me to take risks and step out of my comfort zone. I’m not naturally a very social person and I don't always like to be around a lot of people. Since I have joined NHS, I have done multiple things to serve which have also brought me out of my comfort zone. I was a leader at an 8th grade retreat where I had to interact with kids all day. I helped lead their group activities and gave talks about my high school experiences. I recently decided to go on a mission trip to Haiti which will take place at the end of January 2020. We will be doing dental mission work as well as serving children at an orphanage in Haiti. I also went to a leadership conference with close to 600 people. All of these things have given me a certain level of anxiety and nervousness because talking to new people and trying new things isn’t a strong suit of mine.

The National Honor Society has prompted me to be involved in these new experiences and it has really changed me for the better. I have found that I am happier when I help others. I think a lot of people feel that same way. There is something about helping others which gives you a feeling that doing things for yourself can’t compare to. Just like watching someone open a gift you gave them gives you a great joy, being able to serve has given me a very similar feeling. I feel like I have really grown as a person because of NHS. I think I have become more responsible in order to accomplish things because other people depend on me to do so. I also think it has built my character and compassion for others along with my leadership and social skills. If I was going to recommend joining a school organization, I would recommend joining NHS because of how I have grown as a person and all I have accomplished through it.