As the fall semester comes to a close, students that are members of the National Honor Society are wrapping up their fall service hour requirements in preparation for the upcoming deadline for hour submission on Friday, Dec. 16 at 11:59 p.m. Service is one of the four pillars of the National Honor Society and seeking out meaningful engagement in community organizations is an important way that students are able to meet this pillar. 

     “I got most of my hours from the holiday season, and I did a lot of that by volunteering,” senior NHS member Pavitra Sugatan said. “I volunteered at the North Texas Food Bank, as well as my local community food banks and organizations.”

     Students in NHS have a variety of options to choose from for completing their service hours each semester, including school-sponsored service opportunities, opportunities submitted by other students and approved initiative opportunities. Many students have taken advantage of the ability to submit their own opportunities for approval to receive service hours. 

     “At the North Texas Food Bank, we sorted cans and put them together in a meal packet and at the other places I volunteered, they had kids there so I hung out with the kids and had fun with them,” Sugatan said. 

     Many clubs here at Plano Senior have also hosted events where students can earn service hours for NHS, including the Environmental Club’s “Campus Cleanup”, where students were invited to join together to pick up trash around campus. Additionally, She’s the First club’s “Sweating for She’s the First”, where students were given the opportunity to earn a service hour for each “Charity Mile” ran. These club-sponsored activities soon became favorites among participating students. 

     “There was an Environmental Club clean up a few months ago, [that] was really fun for me because it was interesting seeing what you would find on the side of the road,” Sugatan said. 

     Regardless of how each NHS member chose to receive their service hours this semester, any way that students are able to give back to the community can make a positive impact. As the fall semester comes to a close and students look for opportunities to earn their hours for the spring semester, it is worthwhile to explore the plethora of ways to use these service hour requirements to make a difference in the lives of many. 

     “Honestly, just go volunteer at these non-profit places, because they always need more hands,” Sugatan said. “I know for a fact that if you went to any sort of soup kitchen or local shelter, they could probably find something for you to do.”