Now that the founding class has begun high school, new clubs, activities, and opportunities are sprouting up. This is especially true for NJHS (National Junior Honor Society) which accepted its first group of twelve students during the 2018 school year and will be inaugurating a new group of students later this fall. 

NJHS serves to help build up WESS by fostering leadership and inspiring community service. Later this year, participating students will take part in different displays of such activities through work inside and outside of the WESS community. They will be fulfilling the high school community service requirements as a group and hope to use innovative methods to make additions to the halls of WESS. 

Since its creation last year, Advisors Isabelle and Ellyn have primarily run NJHS. NJHS is run in separate chapters throughout the United States, but last year, the WESS group was largely disconnected from the rest of the Organization. This year, however, there are opportunities for students at WESS to attend conferences, connect with other chapters, and gain skills that they can’t inside the classroom. The first weekend in November, four students from NJHS will head to their first LEAD conference.

This is defined on the program’s website as a meeting where “students and advisers sharpen their leadership skills to improve their school culture and community while networking with their peers from around the country.”

Especially since our branch of NJHS is still in its infancy, networking and gaining ideas from schools with more experience is critical. Learning what leadership means to other schools, and how that role really comes to life, is something that is critical for the young club to learn.

“It’s important for them to develop leadership skills, so they can be leaders inside the WESS building,” Adviser Ellyn Prechez said.

The students attending the conference in Orlando, Florida are Ali Lechford, William French, Bella Bursor, and Caroline Litton, who will be joined by other students across the country. Ali explained that “The National Junior Honor Society is currently raising money for four members to travel to Orlando for a conference with other NJHS chapters, NHS, and other leadership groups throughout the US.”

Especially because WESS is a new school, the burden of creating a framework for new invitees falls on the founding class. From sports and academic ones to community service, we build a reputation.

“If we go to this than we can build connections and build a name for our school,” William said.

In order to receive funding for this endeavor, NJHS is selling candy for two dollars apiece, and the profit will fund their transportation to and from the conference.

When asked what the motivation to donate was, Caroline answered that “You should donate to the NJHS trip by buying candy because you are opening up new opportunities not only for the people going on the trip, but the people who will join NJHS for years to come, and the current members. We are going to the conference to learn how to become better leaders, and upon our return from Orlando, we can apply what we have learned to service projects, helping the community, bettering our school, and improving ourselves. “

Just two dollars could bring NJHS so much closer to this impactful field trip! Make sure you see Ali, William, Caroline, or Bella, about buying candy, or wish them good luck at the conference!