The 4 Pillars of NHS

Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character

Scholarship is a commitment to learning and growing on an educational path. It means making the most of the educational opportunities provided and seeking out learning, not only in school or similar settings, but also personally. Scholarship requires a minimum GPA of 90% or better (no rounding, your weighted overall average must be at least 90%). Scholarship stems from a desire to contribute to this world in a positive way by building on one’s own knowledge, skills, and talent through different experiences.

Service is seeking out and engaging in meaningful service. It calls for a service mindset, the desire to seek opportunities to help others as well as acts of service. Service is seeing a need and fulfilling it voluntarily. Sometimes it’s driven by a passion for a specific cause or people in need.

Leadership builds on Service. Service and leadership oftentimes look very similar. Leadership is carrying oneself with dignity and taking ownership and responsibility for one’s own actions and participation. Being a public speaker, playing quarterback, or having an official title is not required for Leadership. Leadership means being an agent—someone who takes action and responsibility—of your own pathway.

Character is valuing diverse cultures and building relationships that reflect love of self but also concern for others. There are endless attributes to good character: perseverance, respect, integrity, honesty, sacrifice—the list goes on. Good and noble character is a high calling. Oftentimes we don’t “see” character unless there is a public display of self-sacrifice, or more often, a very public mistake. Character is not about praiseworthy or blameworthy behavior but the personal commitment to ethical and compassionate decision making that affects oneself and others.