National Honor Society gets national recognition

IOLA-SCANDINAVIA – The National Honor Society (NHS) at Iola-Scandinavia High School recently received a national award for their excellence and achievements.
Last spring NHS Advisor, Travis Bassett, and former NHS advisor, Tamela McCartney, applied for the National Overall Excellence Award after a year they felt had been particularly successful with the service activities.
After the application is sent in it goes to a national committee to review and see if the chapter in question has hit all the criteria for the award, which includes categories such as character, leadership, scholarship and service.
“This award is the result of many years of so many past members and past advisors of our local chapter working hard to figure out how to make the biggest positive impact on our community,” Bassett said. “The skills our members use to plan and coordinate every aspect of our service projects might be refined in our high school, but they begin in our elementary and are fostered and encouraged in our middle school.”
Ronn Nozoe, the CEO of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, said the award is the pinnacle of what the NHS is all about, not just academia but making positive impacts within a community.

“The Iola-Scandinavia chapter demonstrates how powerful it can be when young leaders channel their talents toward meaningful service and positive change,” Nozoe said in a press release from the NHS.
Among some of the projects that the NHS students participated in was fund raising for the Old Glory Honor Flight, with the fund raising efforts they were able to send eleven veterans on the flight.
Fundraisers included a paper plane contest, bake sales, 50/50 raffles, as well as collaborating with other student organizations on campus to increase the fund raising efforts.
“Beyond the incredible dollar amount raised and the opportunity to acknowledge and support the veterans in our community, this project provides students with a meaningful, real world opportunity to put into practice so many of the skills and knowledge they have worked so hard on in the classroom,” Bassett said.
Maggie Williams, the current Iola-Scandinavia NHS Chapter president, said this award belongs to all members, both past and present, who has helped to build such a strong organization.
“Year after year, we’ve grown stronger as a chapter, finding new ways to support our school and community,” Williams said in a press release. “It’s the little things that add up to something bigger and this award just shows the impact and importance we can make when we all work together.”
Chris Nelson, the district administrator for Iola-Scandinavia, said the district is very proud of the work the NHS has done in the district and community.
“Our NHS students demonstrate that academic excellence paired with genuine community service can create real, positive change,” Nelson said. “This award reflects the strong values that define Iola Scandinavia schools and our commitment to developing student leaders who make a difference.”
Bassett said the students and staff have been incredible and integral to the journey of receiving such a prestigious award, with students dividing their time not only with school and NHS, but many other clubs as well.
“This Overall Award of Excellence is an extraordinary honor but it also gives us a great opportunity to reflect on how we can continue to improve what we do to leave a lasting and meaningful impact on our organization, school, and, most importantly, on the incredible communities that support all of the amazing things happening in our schools,” Bassett said.