For high school students across the nation, membership in the National Honor Society (NHS) has been the gold standard of leadership for over 100 years. At The Storm King School, students who are inducted to the NHS are high achievers both inside and outside the classroom. Living up to NHS’ values of scholarship, service, leadership, and character, current members are going above and beyond to serve the school community and raise funds for an important cause this year.
“Our goal is to bring the SKS community together to support an organization called RecyleKIDS: Chosen Futures,” explained NHS President Elena C. ’23. “The project is dedicated to providing a safe and educational environment to the children of the men and women working in the recycling centers of Bogotá, Colombia. ‘RecycleKIDS’ was chosen by the whole SKS community as this year’s fundraising cause.”
One way the NHS is raising money is through selling concessions at home athletic games and other campus events. Seniors Laurel P. ’23 and Kenzo S. ’23 have been leading the effort and their dedication has been a huge part of the group’s success so far.
Kenzo ’23: “Doing this makes me feel great. I like talking to people, seeing people…our set-up also attracts others, even from the visiting schools. I’m happy to know that our efforts are going to this great cause.”
Kenzo ’23“Our overall goal is to raise between $1,500 and $2,000 to send to RecycleKIDS at the end of the year,” continued Elena. Kenzo was thrilled to report that they have collected “a lot of money” through their concession sales so far. “It has been a combination of food sales including cookies, cupcakes, drinks, and other snacks, as well as use of the school’s hot dog cart,” explained Laurel. “Chef Andy makes us food to sell before each game and he helps us set up and run the hot dog cart,” continued Kenzo. Their plan is to have concession sales run throughout the school year during the fall, winter, and spring athletic seasons.
“The NHS also has other events planned such as movie nights, volleyball tournaments, and game nights to help us raise funds and show the community a good time. We also have our big event in the spring –The Plunge. We hope that all them combined will get us to our fundraising goal at the end of the year,” continued Elena.
NHS faculty advisor, Dr. Alexandra Finn-Atkins, is very impressed by the students’ efforts: “The NHS members have all been amazing! They are constantly seeking new and improved ways to raise money, problem-solve, and enhance the SKS community. For example, in the past, concession sales were cash only; however, since not everyone carries cash these days, Kenzo has been working with SKS’ CFO Mr. Hecht so that they can also accept credit cards and Apple Pay.
The students are also coming up with fundraising events that enrich life on campus and build community such as their upcoming NHS Horror Film Showing on Halloween night. They are a very fun, creative, and resourceful group, and it has been really fun working with them this year!”
“It’s not a lot of work and I really enjoy it. Chef Andy makes great food for us. I was raised around people in the food industry, so I really like doing this.”
Laurel '23Kenzo and Laurel were also very excited about the upcoming Halloween Movie Night. “This will be our next big event for concession sales. We have already started getting together lots of great candy and fun Halloween snacks,” said the students. “It’s not too much work, and it’s great to know that our efforts and the money we raise goes to help the families in Colombia.”
According to Kenzo and Laurel, ‘this is only the beginning, so “stay tuned for more great things coming from the Storm King Chapter of the National Honor Society.”