By Robert Ortiz, Staff Writer
As the opening month of the school year comes to a close, honor societies at River Hill are seeking new members. These groups, from the National Honor Society (NHS) for overall academics, to Rho Kappa for social studies, are pursuing students with academic achievements and an interest in leadership opportunities.
Honor societies are national organizations that recognize students for their scholarly excellence and management skills. Allowing students to build a community of others who are interested in the same subject. Though it may seem like a regular definition of a club, honor societies serve a different purpose by providing students with the opportunity to express themselves and work towards their academic passions. There are honor societies targeted towards the interests of all students!
Consider the requisites before joining an honor society. Meeting the GPA requirements is crucial. The national standard for the majority of honor societies is a minimum GPA of 3.0. However, the NHS is different, as it requires a minimum weighted GPA of 3.4.
Partaking in an honor society will bring responsibilities that are expected of members who plan to stay in the society. Meetings are a common way to stay up to date with peers on important information and are a necessity for someone associated with an honor society. Mrs. Brong, sponsor of the Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society, remarked that “you have to attend a certain number of meetings and do a certain number of activities” to maintain membership.
Common goals of honor societies include serving the school community and promoting learning beyond the classroom. NHS and Rho Kappa, in particular, have participated in local projects involving tutoring and grassroots drives. Cooperation is something that should be anticipated when joining any society. Zachary Liu, a member of the National Honor Society, reflected that “you have to collaborate with your peers.”
Despite these similarities, both of these societies have their own specific goals. Mrs. Brong reported that Rho Kappa’s goal is to encourage “students to enroll in more social studies classes” and to spread awareness and community outreach. Honoring excellence in social studies enables us to appreciate the diverse range of studies within Rho Kappa. Mrs. Brong stated that, “it is important to remember that social studies is not just history, but it covers a lot of different social sciences,” such as economics, geography, psychology and sociology.
National Honor Society, on the other hand, specializes in demonstrating the 4 pillars that it is based on. Ms. Lucero emphasized that “the four pillars being service, leadership, character and scholarship” are vital to proving the students’ growth and development as members of the NHS and as a student at River Hill. Explaining how one has experienced and displayed the 4 pillars in their life is essential for admission to NHS.
Beyond the service hours that can be earned and the GPA requirements that are expected, honor societies also aim to prepare students for life after high school. The main ability is to collaborate with fellow students and teachers. Mrs. Brong expressed that participating in Rho Kappa will result in “developing communication and problem-solving skills, and that’s going to benefit them in any career, no matter what they want to study”.
Honor societies provide opportunities to improve life skills that are prevalent in any career that students choose to pursue. As Mrs. Brong puts it: “It builds leadership, teamwork, and service skills you’ll use anywhere,” lessons that strengthen not just the student, but the River Hill community as a whole.