Annika Schneider
Date:
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Finding the Leader in Myself - My First Two Years with NSHSS
I remember the day that I was accepted to NSHSS in August of 2018. I was sitting in the Ronald Regan Airport in Virginia, almost asleep in my chair after a week’s worth of national security conferences, and all I could think about was how I was leaving something so great, never again to see the people that had become my close friends and colleagues.
It was then that I got the acceptance email from NSHSS. I am not sure if I read the whole thing, I just saw the words welcome and accepted and rang my mom as fast as I could. And now when I think about it, I have to think that it might have been the beckon to my call of being a part of something greater.
Today I am proud to be a student leader in NSHSS in multiple different ways from being an Ambassador to an executive board member of the Student Council. It seems that with every new leadership role I take on inside of NSHSS the more I am inspired to achieve and become. I started as an Ambassador doing social media takeovers, where quite a few of you may recognize me from, and keep in contact with many NSHSS members from those days. Being able to connect with these members and create a place for questions and interconnectedness made me want to do even more.
Then in December of 2019, I traveled to another week-long conference, this time in Stockholm, Sweden. It was here, at Nobel Week, where I saw my natural leadership flourish, and I think Mr. Lewis did as well. Again, on my way home, devastated thinking that I might never get to see the people that I came to think of as family, is when I received another email from NSHSS. This email asked me to step up as a leader of NSHSS and become a part of the Student Council Executive Board along with many other talented members. Before I knew it, I was in the first Executive Board meeting running full speed ahead towards a multidimensional betterment of NSHSS. It is here that I not only began to work with students from the Nobel Week trip but with many other accomplished members from all sectors of NSHSS and the world.
And I think that’s the best part of NSHSS. It’s not a one-time event. It doesn’t end with high school or college-- it’s a lifetime membership. To this day I have not only kept in contact with those I met along the way of my NSHSS experience but even traveled to Switzerland to see them. As for the future, my ‘family’ from the Stockholm trip is planning a ‘family reunion’ within the next couple of years. Then, when the time comes that we graduate college, if any of us can ever stop our educational ambitions, I believe we will all gladly take on the role of becoming a Fellow; it is within all of us to “Be Honored and Be More” as the past, current, and future scholars of the world.
About NSHSS
Since 2002, NSHSS has supported young academics on their journey to college and beyond as they prepare to become the leaders of tomorrow. The mission behind NSHSS is to recognize academic excellence and honor high-achieving students, providing them with the resources and network to excel in college, career and community. In doing so, NSHSS connects members with global events, scholarships, college fairs, internships, career and leadership programs, partner discounts, and more. Discover what makes NSHSS worth it to student members and how you can get involved.
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