Giving Back

The 41 members of Steward’s chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS), all seniors, recently completed service projects throughout the Richmond region. Like all Spartans, NHS members are encouraged to make meaningful connections with the wider community. Upper School English Teacher Stephanie Arnold, the NHS faculty advisor, is duly proud of their accomplishments.

“Service is built into the NHS framework, which also includes character, scholarship, and citizenship,” said Ms. Arnold. “Each member of our chapter chose a ‘passion project’ at the beginning of the academic year. Their interests led them to create authentic connections to communities in need. It has been wonderful to see their ideas come to fruition.” 

Students undertook a variety of projects. Some examples include: Tom Berling ’23 and Wil Berling ’23 helped clean up the James River; Isaac Fass ’23 participated in a Habitat of Humanity build; and Jack Jordan ’23 and Emory Sproull ’23 decorated hospital gowns and delivered them to Operation Smile, a non-profit medical-service organization.

Zamiyah Burton ’23, Mollye Goldberg ’23, Bella Topich ’23, and Mikal Banks ’23 collected gifts for children lodging at Richmond’s Ronald McDonald House (RMHC), which provides housing for families with a child receiving medical treatment. The four planned and implemented the service project from start to finish: They contacted staff at RMHC, toured the facility, held a gift drive at Steward, and delivered the gifts. 

“The most gratifying thing about this project was knowing that we were helping families in need,” said Zamiyah. “It was a smooth-running project, as we were able to collect a good amount of donations. Being a member of the NHS is important to me because it is an opportunity to be part of an additional academic community where students are able to focus on characteristics that are essential for success.”

Marcus Andriano ’23, Mike Moore ’23, and Connor Robbins ’23 organized a letter-writing project on campus to benefit military veterans. 

“My dad’s military service inspired me to want to thank all veterans for everything they have done to keep us safe,” said Mike. “Sophomores, juniors, and seniors wrote a total of 120 letters, which we sent to Support Our Troops, an organization that works with current soldiers and with veterans.” Being a member of the NHS is important to Mike because “it provides the opportunity to lead a project and help the community.” 

Steward’s NHS Chapter
Students with a 3.75 GPA or higher are invited to apply to Steward’s NHS chapter after the first semester of their junior year. Applicants must demonstrate that they have leadership and service experience, and they must submit a character recommendation letter from someone outside of The Steward School. NHS officers meet on campus throughout the year to help the club members meet their service goals.