After a stressful month of waiting for an acceptance email, a gaggle of lucky students were finally taken into the folds of National Honors Society through induction on Friday, April 29.  

Among the fresh inductees was newly appointed NHS President Jorgen Nelson, junior. Nelson certainly seems cut out for the job already, but he won’t be thrown into the fire without any assistance. According to adviser and English teacher Karin Walker, the shift shouldn’t be a struggle at all. 

“I do not think it is that difficult.  We do the switch in April, so the seniors are still in the building and available to help the new juniors any time they ask for help. I have the advantage of having many of the new members as sophomores, and so I have a working relationship with most of them from the classroom,” she said.  

Nelson says he’s “incredibly excited for the opportunity”, and isn’t daunted by the responsibility.  

“No, I’m not really worried at all because I know I’ll have guidance whenever I need help.” Nelson said. 

It isn’t just the new inductees facing new responsibilities however; the teachers will be feeling a shift as well, but with this being Rose Fleming’s and Walker’s tenth year as advisers, it’s nothing new to them.  

“I have learned to place my trust in teenagers.  They have so many good ideas and want to make a difference in others’ lives. NHS members have shown me where help in our community is needed and opened my eyes to how we as a school community have an impact.  Through the years, it was members of NHS that developed the Legacy hallway, the Elementary Science Fair, the Suicide Prevention Walk, the Sophomore Cocoa and Cram semester study session, and Chats with the Chiefs,” Walker said.  

It’s very true that students are the backbone of the society. According to the official NHS website, over 1 million students nationwide are involved in the program, with some notable members being pop star Taylor Swift and former first lady Michelle Obama. The program was originally started in 1921, and just recently celebrated its centennial last year.  

The program requires large amounts of time and responsibility; however, so some new members have chosen to not become officers, a sentiment echoed by new inductee Sophia Rodriguez, junior. 

“It’s a good opportunity, but I simply don’t have time for it. It’s a lot of work and I don’t think I’d be fit for that,” Rodriguez said. However as the members go through the program, their feelings may change.  

“I think their [the inductees] eyes are opened to the many other areas of life. We have had members who have looked at majors in college that resulted from service work they did while in NHS. I also distinctly remember a member who wrote about her experience serving breakfast at Daybreak Shelter in Joliet and how that greatly impacted her perspective on the importance of things in life,” Fleming said. 

All in all, National Honor Society marks the change from simple teenager to almost adult, and ultimately seems to truly benefit the people who embark on this journey in high school.  

“To me, it means being part of an organization that values excellence and strives to achieve it everyday–that’s not an easy task and it’s great to watch members learn and grow while they are in the organization,” Fleming said