Candles were lit, a pledge was said, and just like that Elkhorn High inducted 37 students into the National Honor Society. National Honor Society is not only about celebrating academics, but it is also an outlet for students to give back to the community.
“The ceremony was on Sunday and lasted about 35 minutes,” teacher Ronda Habrock said. “The students were escorted to the stage (of the auditorium), and then they recited the pledge for NHS with the president, and there’s a little candle ceremony that the officers go through.”
For many of the inductees, the “just like that,” was anything but quick and stress-free. The application process for incoming members is much more complicated than it seems. The induction ceremony was a celebration of all the hard work, time, and dedication that it took to earn admittance.
“I had to get a lot of volunteer hours in and be involved, and I just have to be a leader,” junior Kathryn Roberts said. “I think NHS is worth the time because you are helping the community so it is not a waste of time because you are helping other people.”
The inductees have given back and worked hard to join NHS, and the new members are just now learning the positive effects, but more experienced members are volunteering veterans.
“It looks good on college applications, and it shows that you care about things and your academics,” senior Chase Engel said. “It is a great opportunity to get volunteer hours, and it allows you to take initiative.”
Not only are academics, involvement and excellence important for getting into NHS, community service is one of the key factors to getting accepted.
“The heart of our organization is that we are a service organization,” Habrock said. ”So we provide a lot of time and service to students at Elkhorn High School and in the community.”