![Hosting the SCLA Casptone Mentor Dinner outside allowed for more attendees on September 27, 2021 at Silver Creek. This event would’ve usually been held inside. According to Lauren Kohn, a SCLA 12 teacher, “If we have a higher number of people, as long as we can host the event outside, then that seems to be keeping every[one] safe”.](https://schsnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/sxMAIGbSYGodZkqmrvTi5YWcJ1ssWA08ApkeMLpp-900x675.jpeg)
Welcoming New Members To the National Honors Society
Since the start of the new school year, Michael Sardinia, a counselor at Silver Creek High School has been welcoming more than 98 new junior members out of 160 eligible students into the National Honors Society or NHS. NHS is an organization that is designed to help and encourage students to volunteer. Eligible students have to have a minimum GPA of 3.5 to get an invitation and then they have to commit to doing 32 hours of community service each school year.
“It’s a great place for people to really connect with one another,” Sardinia says. “It gives people the opportunity to branch out and be a part of a team by volunteering.”
Some students have gone the extra mile in doing over 150 hours of community service instead of 32 hours. Grace Ann Dunn, a senior and member, had over 90 hours of volunteer hours.
“I got my hours by doing activities like bingo, set construction for plays, and volunteering at a pregnancy center,” Dunn said. “I enjoyed volunteering at the pregnancy center., I got to work with adults and learn a ton from others and their experiences.”
Students are doing things outside of their comfort zone to contribute to their community. Whether it’s helping out Longmont, Boulder, or Denver, students are out and about willing to lend a helping hand.
“I love seeing young people who are helping out other people instead of just working themselves,” Sardinia says “Some students even have gotten scholarships for colleges from doing NHS,”
Being a part of NHS can help students stand out from the crowd when it comes to college applications. Colleges want to see that students are involved in volunteering. “A lot of them. Recognize that it looks good on college applications, because colleges want to see that students are involved and not just doing their own thing.”
For those who don’t feel like they have anything good going for them in high school besides getting their work done, getting into the National Honors Society gives them the opportunity to branch out.
Mannaz Ezzat, a senior at Silver Creek, has done well over 40 hours of volunteering. She enjoys doing it to keep her mind off the stress around her.
“I feel really good about myself right afterwards,” she states “yes, it can be overwhelming to do a bunch of things all at once for people but you feel good about yourself after it is all dealt with.”
