Out of the many school’s clubs and extracurricular activities that are available to students, the National Honor Society is open to only juniors and seniors.

The NHS Club seeks out students who are dedicated to community service inside and out of school and academic excellence.

“As a club, we hope to create a society of scholars that help in the school and community,” said Mrs. Beth Huntley, NHS moderator. NHS has been reaching out not only to NDA students, but to Franklin Middle School, NDA’s public school neighbor, this year.

To be an NHS member, a Notre Dame student must be an upperclassman who has a grade point average of 3.67 or higher, and who is involved in community service. The student must apply to be part of the club. Huntley says if a student qualifies, he or she is welcomed to become an inductee in the fall.

Starting just this school year, NHS made tutoring available for students upon request during their lunch and study hall periods.

“My time in NHS has been rewarding. I’ve especially enjoyed working on service projects and peer tutoring,” said NHS President Ben Harpt. Accompanying him in NHS as leaders are seniors Nick Zacharias as Vice President, Jake Gerlikovski as Secretary, and Margaret Hogan as Treasurer.

“I joined because I wanted to use my academic talents to make a difference in the school and community. NHS is a group devoted to doing just that,” said Harpt.

For seniors, their time in NHS is coming to an end. Although graduation approaches, senior member Rachael Shilbauer reflected on her time helping fellow students. “At first I thought it’d look good for college on my applications, but then once I started to get involved, I realized it was more than just that. It is an opportunity to help people and it pays off,” she said.

This year NHS chose to serve the N.E.W. Shelter, where members either donated goods, money, or their time to successfully serve 217 people lunch. Huntley said that she hopes for the number of NHS members to increase every year.

While it may seem hard to keep up grades and service while balancing everyday life, senior Mallory Kaster said she joined NHS because she knows she works hard academically. “It was a good opportunity to meet others who are just as dedicated to academics as I am,” said Kaster.

Looking back, Shilbauer said she has no regrets in joining, and she encourages others to join. “Get involved and fill out the application because it gives you the chance to impact others in a positive way,” she said.

“Being inducted into NHS is an honor and a privilege. The candidates each year have worked hard to become honor students and have been blessed with academic gifts. I would hope that future inductees join NHS with a commitment to use those gifts towards helping others,” Harpt said.