Gabriella Small – Layout Editor
If you’re a student with a GPA above 2.75, you might’ve gotten an email from something called the NSLS, also known as the National Society of Leadership and Success. At first, you might be confused and think it’s just a random spam email, but if you do decide to open it, you will come to find an honor society that leaves you with a world of opportunities sitting at your fingertips.
The National Society of Leadership and Success has a straightforward mission statement to “recognize, cultivate, and honor leaders, all while making lasting, positive change in the world.”
The society succeeds in many ways of staying true to this goal. For one, there are chapter events that strive to inspire members, bring them closer together, and help them develop their leadership skills. Though these events are mainly speech based, the words they say can and have led much of the members to becoming more active in their school lives and making positive changes in their communities.
Vittoria Wakefield, an NSLS member from Florida State University, revealed in a video featured on the NSLS’ website that through watching the broadcasts she “became so motivated by the stories that our speakers told us” and that meeting other members reminded her that she was in a group that wanted to “see me grow and help me grow.”
One other way the NSLS helps its members is by offering exclusive scholarships every academic year. This year, the NSLS plans to distribute over $400,000 in scholarships and rewards exclusively to those apart of the foundation.
There are a total of 14 different scholarships being offered this year. There are some scholarships that are offered to all members such as the United By Purpose scholarship where $3,000 is offered to five recipients who “want to engage in raising awareness for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity on campus” and the Healthy Living Grant that offers $1,000 to 10 recipients that need extra assistance in achieving their health and/or fitness goals.
There are also scholarships specifically provided to new members, online members, and advanced and executive leadership certification members.
The reason I feel that more students should involve themselves in this honors society is because they would gain more by becoming a member instead of ignoring the invitation. Although the membership fee is a daunting $95, I feel that, if one can afford it, investing that money into this society is a good idea to make in the long run.
The benefits of being a member mentioned above are only a small part of an even longer list. As a new member myself, I haven’t been able to do much with my membership yet, but I’ve been able to listen to some of the broadcasts and specifically Winter Wheeler’s Motivation Mondays talk about mediating conflicts with kindness and have started to morph my mindset into one that is kinder, studious and reflective. To become involved in the NSLS, you first need to look for your emailed or mailed nomination, find the nomination code that corresponds to your campus, and visit the nsls.org website.
For more information on the NSLS, contact Dr. Lauren Adamo at ladamo@broward.edu.
