Selection Process

The National Junior Honor Society chapter of the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of this prestigious national organization. Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in five areas of evaluation: scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. Students are selected for membership by majority vote of a five-member Faculty Council, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each June.

Pro-Tip: Keep a journal (paper or online) of every activity in which you participate that might fit into the categories below. You'll need that information for membership, and it's a lot easier to keep track of them as you go than it is to try and remember them when you need them.

The Faculty Council is made up of both high school and middle school teachers from various subject areas who will evaluate potential members in the following four areas:

Service

• • Initiative and willingness to help others, creativity in serving your community, initiative to solve problems, etc. Candidates must show an independent commitment to service by completing a minimum of ten service hours. For example, volunteering with Keep Austin Beautiful, Wildlife Rescue, PAWS, etc., OR by creating and organizing their own outside service opportunities (Neighborhood clean-ups, volunteer tutoring, etc.). To be eligible for membership, students must complete their grade-level service goal PLUS an additional ten hours (so, 20 hours for 6th-8th grades and 25 hours for 9th grade). 75% of those should be from non-ARS service opportunities.

Leadership

• • Leading by positive example, showing patience with others, initiative in taking the lead in various settings, active listening, following through on commitments, practicing inclusiveness with people who are not your close friends, etc. We will ask that candidates describe their leadership experience when completing the Student Profile & Activity Information Form (SPAIF).

Character

• • Reliability, honesty, and academic and general integrity, etc. Candidates will not have been assigned to in- or out-of-school suspension in the year in which they apply for membership, nor should they have more than three demerits in a single semester in the year in which they apply for membership. 

Citizenship 

• • Positive attitude towards others, being an Ally for targets of bullying, taking pride in your school and community, responsible online behavior, etc.  To evaluate a candidate’s character, the faculty council uses two forms of input. First, school disciplinary records are reviewed (see Character). Second, members of the faculty are solicited for input regarding their professional reflections on a candidate’s character, service activities, citizenship, and leadership. 

Scholarship 

• • Positive attitude towards learning and being academically challenged with an overall GPA of 4.0 or better, cumulatively, as determined at end of the last grading period. GPA are run at the district, not campus, level. 

Students entering grades 7, 8, and 9 are eligible to be considered for membership. At the end of each school year, students who meet this criterion are invited to complete a Student Profile & Activity Information Form (SPAIF) that provides the faculty council with information regarding the candidate’s leadership and service.  Students are notified of eligibility via their school email once final GPAs are tallied.

Any solicited faculty input and all Candidate Forms are reviewed by the Faculty Council to determine membership. A majority vote of the council is necessary for selection. Candidates are notified regarding selection or non-selection according to a predetermined schedule. 

Following notification, a formal induction ceremony is held at the school during the final six weeks to recognize all the newly selected members. 

Once inducted, new members are required to 

• maintain the same level of performance (or better) in all criteria that led to their selection. 

• attend all NJHS General Meetings (one per month)

• participate in the NJHS Group Service Project, 

• and to continue their individual commitment to their own service projects.