Micaella Rodriguez Co-Editor-in-Chief

Community service, stellar grades and even better attitudes is what is expected of the members of National Honor Society that serve the Panther community. Newest juniors and seniors got inducted into the program on November 14th, and as members, they must complete a minimum of 20 hours per semester.

   Ava Berios, NHS shares why community service is so important to her. “My favorite idea is the mentoring. The fact that that’s a part of NHS is very important to me. It’s not just community service, it’s more like, you’re building relationships with your community.” Berios said.

   Berios described NHS and the significance of the program,

  “My youngest brother has special needs and so we got really involved in our community from a young age with special needs programs and…figured we could make a bigger impact through that, so I joined NHS as soon as I could and then I wanted to help be a leading voice in it so I applied

 to be an officer.” Berios said.

  “My biggest thing is accessibility, that’s why I wanted to go into engineering in college…there should not be a reason where anybody gets turned away from a building or program or and that’s why that’s my biggest community impact is making things accessible.”

  As high schoolers, some may feel discouraged to demand change and take action, Berios offered advice based on this struggle.

  “Don’t take no for an answer, if someone says you can’t do this, go to the next person, there’s always a higher person in command, then go from there,” Berios said.

  Tatum McClung, Panther Pals Coordinator is also very grateful for this program and its many opportunities.

  “My favorite aspect of NHS is being able to participate in a variety of community service activities that let me help others…I loved participating in Panther Pals and being able to teach and guide young children,” McClung said.

  Underclassmen have an opportunity to broaden their horizons and make new connections and meet new people.

  “Try to outdo yourself, try to impress yourself, when you think you’ve done well, try to push yourself to do even better. Always try hard and use your free time wisely,” McClung said.

  Jeran Manzanares, senior second-year member of NHS shared why he joined NHS and his favorite aspects of the organization. 

   “I love meeting new people that are just as determined academically as me,” Manzanares said.

   In addition to the experience of getting involved within the com-

munity brings along the opportunity to form new connections and helps college applicants stand out.

   “I took the time to apply [to NHS] because I knew it was going to benefit me in the long run…and knowing that it will all be worth it in the end, getting hours while volunteering makes you feel like you’re doing something, like you’re helping your school.” Manzanares highly recommends working hard during underclassmen years to be able to apply for the program.

   “It opens up a lot of future opportunities, not just for volunteering, but also for college and future academics” Manzanares said.

In the long run, Manzanares hopes to have a positive impact on his community “I want to be able to inspire someone else…I want to inspire people to be more involved in school and academics or volunteer work and do their part for the community.” Manzanares said, 

  Overall, the program has much to offer and gives many benefits for high school and beyond. Not only does helping the community assist those in need, but it can help NHS members go outside of their usual circle and get experience that is able to be used for college applications in order to make a stand-out appearance.