Each year, NASSP recognizes around 200 NHS and NJHS chapters with Pillar Awards for embracing Honor Society core values. There are five award categories: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Character, and Overall Excellence. Winners receive a digital recognition package, including a seal for their chapter website.
Last month, the NHS chapter at Freedom High School in South Riding, VA, was recognized with a Pillar Award of Overall Excellence. School of Thought caught up with adviser Guadalupe Yarbrough and chapter president Amy Cherian.
Tell us a bit about what your NHS chapter did to receive this award.
Amy: One of the programs our NHS chapter has been committed to since I was a freshman is the after-school homework club, which is held every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:20–6:00 p.m. A few counselors and teachers stay after school, but the club is run by 12 student tutors from NHS. Each subject—English, languages, math, science, social science, and others like psychology—has two tutors.
Who attends? Is it primarily students who need extra help outside the classroom?
Amy: That’s how the club initially started. We were contacted by our student support adviser who requested assistance for kids who were at risk of failing a class. However, the club has grown far beyond that today.
Sometimes in school, there can be a shame culture associated with raising your hand or getting behind in class, no matter how understanding a teacher is. But our club is much more comfortable. Students can sit with other students and ask for help without worrying about being judged. It’s also a quiet place for kids to do homework if they don’t have access to that at home—and the benefit is that if any questions arise, there are other students who genuinely want them to succeed and are ready to help.
What does your NHS chapter do to make students feel comfortable asking questions of their peers?
Amy: Before every homework club session, I meet with all the student tutors and thank them for volunteering their time. We also talk about the importance of creating personal relationships with the students who come to homework club. The tutors begin by introducing themselves to the student and sharing what subjects they have struggled with. Then they ask what the student they are paired with finds challenging and what their goals are. We’ve created a culture where we recognize that we are all in the same boat. Some things come easy to us, and some things don’t.
Guadalupe: The student tutors do a great job of making everyone feel comfortable. Amy and another officer attend every session of the club. We also offer snacks and encourage a positive atmosphere. I’m very proud of our NHS chapter. They connect with all the students in such an authentic way that whenever we send out the sign-up sheet for homework club, it fills up almost immediately.
Amy, how has being president of your NHS chapter influenced your future goals?
Amy: I find that I can talk to anyone in school, whether they are a student, a teacher, or in an administrative role. We have a collective goal to make our school successful. To that end, I’m really interested in juvenile justice as well as urban development and ultimately want to go to law school.
What advice would you share with other NHS chapter leaders?
Amy: The best piece of advice I’ve received is to look at the stars for 10 seconds a day. As a community, we need to hold each other accountable for slowing down sometimes to appreciate the efforts of our labor.
Learn more about the NHS and NJHS Chapter Pillar Awards.