A group of students all dedicated to one goal: that is what the National Honor Society is. Perhaps surprisingly, the goal for students in the NHS isn’t to check off another box on their college applications, and the club isn’t about giving them an opportunity to do that.

Their goal is helping the community around them.

Club members aren’t generally concerned with looking good for colleges or doing good to satisfy some selfish desire to pat themselves on the back. They are worried about how they can make the world a better place.

“NHS is about community,” said Pranav Nagalamadaka, a junior member of AMSA’s chapter of the NHS. “It’s about helping others, and reaching out to your local community, AMSA community, just helping out people who are disadvantaged. It’s really a great cause for others.”

The club invites anyone who has a 3.7 grade point average or higher through their sophomore year to apply to the club, but that is only the initial requirement. They are then considered according to the four pillars of the NHS.

“We work on upholding the pillars of scholarship, character, leadership, and service,” said English teacher Kristen Small, one of two club advisors for NHS. “Our individual organization works on multiple service projects throughout the year.”

Tellingly, three of the four pillars have nothing to do with how smart someone is. They have to do with how the person acts and how he or she helps out in the community.

“We have to help others,” Pranav said. “We are very advantaged to have a lot of resources, but other people are not as lucky as we are, so we have to reach out to them and help them.”

That is a perfect example of the mindset NHS looks for.

The club has made a difference in the AMSA community in a large way. In the past, members have tutored students, organized canned food and school supply drives, toiletry drives, and cleanup projects, to name just a few.

Club members currently are working on making blankets for veterans.

“I think so, yeah, I’d like to think so,” Mrs. Small said with a smile when she was asked if NHS has had a big influence in the community.

“I think that if a lot of people get together, you can definitely change a lot of lives,” said Vishwa Dhulesia, president of AMSA’s NHS chapter.

Vishwa, a senior, was inducted into the club during the spring of her sophomore year.

“I really wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself,” Vishwa said. “I fulfill all the pillars because I do give back to the community.”

Being able to include NHS membership on a college application is seen primarily as a fringe benefit.

“I joined NHS because I felt like I needed to give back to the community more,” Pranav said. “This gave me a better opportunity to do that.”