By Lindsay Newfeld
This year National Honor Society has 71 members, the largest group in Tempe Prep history. National Honor Society is a well-known club around campus, and one that has perhaps the biggest impact on the community. Members of NHS participate in service projects throughout the year that benefit those less fortunate such as Feed My Starving Children, Teen Court, and Project C.U.R.E. However, they also coordinate many projects on campus such as the 6th grade buddy letter exchange and the Feathers for Food fundraiser at Thanksgiving to raise money for needy children.
NHS recently hosted the annual 6th grade Buddy Breakfast, which was a great success. NHS members met their 6th grade buddies and got to know each other over doughnuts and orange juice. NHS President Aimee Cheng says, “I think the buddy letter program is one of the best projects we coordinate. It allows new students to TPA to have an older mentor and friend on campus, whom they probably would never have met if not for this program.”
Under Aimee’s leadership, NHS has taken on an even more active role with additional service projects and events. One of these new projects is the NHS PREPTalks. These are guest speakers who are invited by NHS members to speak to high school students about their experiences in different fields of work and study. For example, on Oct. 5, TPA alum and U.S. Army Capt. Alex Wingate gave an NHS PREPTalk about the Army and different career options and scholarships available with the military.
These talks usually take place in the Zelman during high school lunch, and all high school students are welcome to listen and ask questions. They are a great opportunity to learn about different career options after graduation from Tempe Prep, and to gain insight and new perspectives from leaders in our community.
Aimee Cheng, who founded this program, says, “I wanted to form a project that would benefit students and I believe guest speakers are one of the best ways to gain inspiration and learn about new topics.”
Another new project for NHS is the required service project for juniors to be inducted into the society. Each junior must formulate their own project that in some way benefits either the TPA community or a group outside of school. This could be a bake sale that raises money for hurricane relief or organizing a group to feed the homeless at a local shelter. This requirement serves to help those in need and also to inspire students to explore new ways of serving others.
With plenty of new events in store, and the continuation of old traditions, NHS is one of the largest clubs on campus and this year is sure to be one filled with service and fun!
