By CONOR MCCONVILLE ‘17
The National Honors Society is one of many clubs found at Saint Ignatius High School. It is a group that consists of the most academically successful senior students found here at Saint Ignatius.
Originally, the group served as a doorway to get more involved in events throughout the year that happen around campus. These events include things like open house, senior awards night, graduation, and anything other school events where help is needed.
However last year, under the leadership of Nick Drozd ‘16, the club took a new direction in order to get the National Honors Society even more involved in the school.
Drozd’s new goal of the club was to, “to create enthusiastic scholarship, to present opportunities to render service, to promote worthy leadership, and to encourage the development of character,” as well as promote the four pillars of the club: scholarship, academic study or achievement and learning of a high level; service the action of helping or doing work for someone; leadership, the action of leading a group of people or an organization; and character, the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.
Another goal that I am striving for is to make NHS more widely known to the student body. It’s almost like a secret society which underclassmen know nothing about. I’m going to shake that up.
Centred around these four pillars the NHS chapter under Drozd launched a new campaign around school emphasizing respect around campus, implemented a peer tutoring system, and set up different fundraisers and drives to promote service and high academic standards.
Last year, Nick Drozd commented on the changes he made and said, “The leadership of NHS has decided to break from this ‘norm’ of ushering and to increase our presence on Ignatius’ campus. Ultimately, these projects are all meant to improve the organizational identity of NHS and to make members feel accomplished for being accepted into the Society, but also for aspiring members to genuinely desire to be a part of NHS.”
Now, David Pietrow, President of this year’s NHS chapter, plans to continue building upon the changes that Drozd brought to the organization last year.
Pietrow says, “As far as my plans go for this year’s chapter of NHS, I am looking to primarily encourage the committee chairs to expand upon what the previous year’s chairs have done. Fortunately, I have been graced with 4 highly motivated chairs who genuinely care about the conditions of NHS. They make my job easy.
“Another goal that I am striving for is to make NHS more widely known to the student body. It’s almost like a secret society which underclassmen know nothing about. I’m going to shake that up. I have plans to increase advertising across all mediums for NHS, so I hope the Postercats are ready to take my orders.
“The result should be that the student body and maybe even the faculty knows about the amazing work that NHS does and will continue to do. The overall goal behind increasing awareness is increasing interest. I have a hope that in the future, NHS will be open to juniors as well. But that’s something for my successors to continue.”
