Want to know how to stand out on a college application? Join National Honors Society, Student Council, or Servant Leadership! Each group is a little different, but they have one common goal: to help the community.
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a organization that is in almost every single high school in America. It recognizes high-achieving students who demonstrate leadership, service, character, and scholarship.
The organization gets together twice a month to talk about service projects they can do in the school and community. These service projects happen once a quarter of each school year.
Some of their service projects include: fundraisers for the student hygiene closet, write valentines cards for people in elderly homes, and bought snacks for students during finals last year. Most recently, NHS worked at the polls during the 2024 presidential election.
“Selfishly, it helps students stand out during the college application process,” Jena Kleindl, the NHS advisor, said. “But its good for students to volunteer and show support in the community.”
Students with a 3.5 GPA or higher will be invited to apply to NHS in late January.
Student Council
Student Council is a student governmental organization. The group helps to make decisions for all grades in the school. Students are elected to Student Council to represent other students in their own grades.
Some of the service projects they do include planning homecoming and other school events, ringing bells with the Salvation Army bell ringing, and running donation drives with the Freeport Area Church Cooperative.
“One its always good to give back to your community and its cool to see the work you that put in and see what your community members benefit from and also it looks good on resumes,” Haley Kurtz, one of the advisors for students council, said. “It feels good to say that you did it.”
To get involved, students have to get elected. Elections happen at the end of each year, and some representatives can run after winter break.
Servant Leadership
Servant Leadership is a part of Highland Community College and it gives students college credit for their volunteer hours.
Hearts and Hands for Hunger is the biggest project they do. To raise money for the organization, they run a dodgeball tournament and sell donuts. During the holiday season, they also do a virtual giving tree where people can buy Christmas gifts for families in need.
“I think its always good to give to your community or to people that need extra,” Christy Evans, the Servant Leadership advisor, said “I just think there is always people out there that need things. It’s always just good to donate or give to the needy.”
To be able to join you have to be a junior or senior, you have to apply. Each year, they select 8 juniors and 8 seniors.
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To learn more about any of these organizations, contact their advisors:
- National Honor Society: [email protected]
- Student Council: [email protected]
- Servant Leadership: [email protected]
