National Honor Society Essay

As someone who has always admired the prestige and character of the National Honor Society, I am honored to have received a nomination. I view the National Honor Society as a very noble organization comprised of hard working, intelligent people committed to giving back to the communities that have helped them realize and reach their potential. I believe that both the program and I would benefit by the contribution of my skills, values, and leadership.
I have dedicated my high school career--and my life-- to performing to the absolute best of my ability; I believe that doing so will heighten experiences and lead to personal growth. Because of this, I have developed many skills that would be to the advantage of NHS. I have played soccer for

most of my life. It’s a very demanding sport and it requires the ability to cooperate productively with others, even when completely exhausted. This is a rare talent, but I have grown to be quite good at it. There are hundreds of instances where I have been with a group of people that are fed up and unable to be productive. I always use this skill to find ways that everybody can contribute in a manner that they approve of, and we almost always complete our task efficiently. Another skill that I have is empathy. I think that I’ve always been intuitively in synch with other people’s emotion. I know how to read them very well--I can understand and appeal to feelings, even if I don’t agree with them. I probably use this skill the most. I find it a very effective way to get a point across and to filter things that are obscured or warped by strong, heat-of-the-moment emotions.
I am willing and excited to participate in service projects and fundraisers, but there are a few causes that I am vehemently passionate about.

I would love to organize a fundraiser that helps children who can’t afford musical instruments do so. Learning an instrument was one of the best things that ever happened to me because it allowed me to use my brain in new ways and to express myself. Music is one of the few things that connects people from all over the world. You can travel to a new country, not speak a word of the language, and still find camaraderie and respect through music: it’s a universal language of unity. It has the unique, unusual, and drastically underappreciated ability to promote peace and fellowship. Yet there are so many young people who can’t afford to pay for an instrument or lessons, and so they miss out on the opportunity to learn and appreciate music in new ways. By helping them do so, I believe that their lives can change and they in turn might change lives.
I grew up frequenting non profit organizations like Feed My Starving Children and local women’s shelters. I was very involved with my church and their youth programs and fundraising projects. The excitement and humility I felt after doing something selfless are feelings that stick with me today. I believe in random acts of kindness: you do something for somebody and you never tell anybody. It is one of the most humbling things you can do. And although I’ve never single-handedly organized and made

a significant contribution to my community, I’ve always wanted to. I think NHS is the perfect opportunity to do so.
My scholarship is something that I’ve always prized. I could speak in coherent 5-word sentences when I was fifteen months old, and read when I was two. From a very early age I was pushed to do my best in school, and so I did. My GPA of 3.98 reflects my academic achievement and hard work. I am very proud that I have managed to maintain this while taking rigorous courses, being a captain of my traveling club soccer team, and being first chair in a performing band ensemble which I have done since I was ten years old. I’ve been able to be in these leadership roles because I strive to constantly improve myself and uplift others by listening to feedback and implementing it into my study, work, social services, and extracurricular activities