The Whiteland Community High School (WCHS) National Honor Society, which is led by WCHS English teachers Allison Dugan and Katie DeClercq, is looking forward to gathering new members and starting to plan their next events to help the community.

NHS’ main purpose is to help out the community to the best of their ability. All of the NHS members have to complete a required 10 service hours to join, and after they join, they must complete 10 service hours for each year. Students also have to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA and be an upstanding citizen in the community and school, according to Dugan.

Dugan described what NHS is and what they do to help students.

“Kids who fit the criteria can apply and it helps students to maintain high academic achievement as well as involves them in community service,” Dugan said.

Junior of WCHS and NHS member Preston Rahim explained that he joined NHS to get more involved with his community.

“I joined NHS because I saw that I had an opportunity to get more involved in the community,” Rahim said. “To assist more with helping others and organizations around Whiteland rather than just focusing all my time on my own academic studies. I can now apply myself towards assisting other people and letting them be helped.”

Dugan described the many events National Honor Society does for the community throughout the year and what they have planned.

“We will be helping with the Riley Dance Marathon as well as having a fundraiser in January,” Dugan said. “The fundraiser will take the profits from selling coffee and hot cocoa before school and donate them to either the Johnson County Humane Society or to another charitable institution.”

Rahim explained why other students should consider joining NHS while helping the community around Whiteland.

“NHS is a great way to help your community around you and help people; just donating your time helps. It’s good to tell colleges and different things you are applying for. A big part of it is developing your own self and being able to assist others. It builds really good character for yourself,” Rahim said.

Dugan explained her favorite part of NHS.

“It is a very cool thing to see what these kids can do and the difference they make in the world. It's even cooler when they figure out what they can do,” Dugan said.

NHS helps the community throughout the year and plan to keep helping the community this year into next while working together in groups learning new things, gaining new opportunities and working together.