Based on different requirements they had to meet, NHS inductees were chosen from 10th-12th grade at the beginning of this month.

At The Columbus School High School, students aim to enter the National Honor Society to be recognized as important and respected individuals. In order to enter, students must apply and fill out a form to prove they meet NHS characteristics.

“You have to demonstrate that without pressure you tend to help others and you have a sense of citizenship and leadership that goes with your personality,” Tomás Echeverri, a 12th-grader NHS inductee, said.

Students are allowed to apply for the first time when they are in 10th grade; if they don’t pass, they are allowed to try two more times in the following two years. Some students start working a long time before applying so they can have a bigger shot at entering.

“Since 8th grade, I’ve been doing social service and leadership activities. …I felt I had a lot of requirements met so I was hoping I enter but I still wasn’t sure,” Andrea Cardona, a 10th-grader NHS inductee, said.

Once a student gets accepted, some may think they can relax and enjoy their membership, but this is false. Instead, they have to keep striving in order to maintain the image of an NHS student and the prototype of a “perfect” student the school aims to have.

“You instead have to start working harder because you become a role model for the student profile… a student that The Columbus School wants to form.” Echeverri, said.

NHS members are also required to keep their GPA over 85%, 15 hours of social service each semester, attend to all meetings, and follow the character counts pillars. New members know the board and old members are expecting them to meet all the requirements if they want to keep their membership.

“They are expecting commitment, that I continue with my hours and with all of the requirements I have to do in order to enter in the first place,” Cardona, said.

Some board members also mention that the most important quality is to do things by heart and not by obligation.

“When people start giving up their time to serve others, knowing they have more opportunities to help other people to make our community better. We are expecting a lot of sacrifice on their behalf,” Maria Antonia Aristizabal, NHS board member, said.