Enjoy some testimonials from our students and parents about Honor Society below:
"My favorite part of the Honor Society is the quality long lasting relationships that I have formed with fellow members. I highly recommend the Honor Society."
- Bethany (alumni)
"Honor Society has prepared me for college by providing me with a safe environment to build my leadership skills, time to collaborate with fellow students on scholarships and opportunities to coordinate group events."
- Laurel (alumni)
"Being a part of the Honor Society has provided me with many great opportunities to expand my leadership skills. I have held multiple officer positions which taught me responsibility and allowed me to work and coordinate with other officers and fellow students."
- AmyGrace (alumni)
"The Home School Honor Society is invaluable in the process of adequately preparing homeschool students AND parents for leadership and the transformation from high school to college. Without involvement here we would never know of many opportunities for awards and scholarships available to our youth."
- Dana (parent)
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Student Essay by Matthew Galizia:
True Avengers
The darkness grows. Evil gathers in the distant sky, growing stronger. Fed by Satan and his minions, the fires of Hell are nearer than ever before. But even in the midst of all the darkness, there is hope.
Our Commander calls His soldiers to rise, take up their arms, and run into battle. The combat is difficult, but God calls each soldier out of weakness and trains them for the coming fight. His army is one of endurance, composed of men and women who begin as failing human beings, but are transformed into corps of courage and sacrifice. Together these warriors stand firm until the end, both in their commitment to their Creator and to each other.
Every soldier is given the tools and armor needed to succeed in his mission. A Book carrying the chronicles of battles and missions past, present, and future is attached to the Belt of Truth. Protecting the head and intellect is a steel helmet, crafted by the Son of God for the salvation of mankind. A Breastplate of Righteousness guards the heart, and shoes of Peace carry each fighter swiftly and surely over rough terrain. Each soldier bears an impenetrable shield which creates a wall of protection against the flaming arrows of the enemy. And above all, the warriors have been entrusted with special gifts – swords that will never break nor bend: Swords of the Spirit.
Equipped with these gifts, God’s warriors are given a mission: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”1 Matt. 28:19-20 (New Living Translation).
The world into which the army is sent is a world that does not care. Many years ago, man
decided he could live life on his own – that man united was invincible. Faith turned into
skepticism, which finally gave way to agnosticism. Writers write for the sake of writing, players
play for the sake of fun, and everyone dies for the sake of dying; Satan has ripped away our
sanity. Warriors are mocked, and people who try to help others receive insults in return. When a
story is told, the reporter tells it as he wishes, regardless of what is true or false, for – in his mind
– truth and deception are relative. Scientists “know” we evolved because other scientists agree.
Every statement, story, speech, and article furthers the belief that “man is God,” and therefore "God is dead."
I have seen the decay that results from attempting to be a god. One only needs to look at
monsters like Adolf Hitler to see what proud thinking does to men, and we are all affected by the
decisions of these individuals. Therefore, I have enlisted. Christ paid the price for my
redemption, and now I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the men and women who are willing to
give their lives for the ultimate quest. We are warriors in the army of God, fighting together
against the powers of darkness. As the special instruments of our Commander, we think and act
with a purpose. Even now, as we stare Hell in the face, defying its power to destroy, we feel His
purpose pulsing through our veins, driving us to the point of no return. We cannot keep silent.
The battle is tough; the enemy is cunning; the world questions heroes—but heroes never
give up. Therefore, I will give purpose to every word I write, every song I play, and every phrase
I say. My life is too short to waste with low expectations and worthless ideas. I have been given
a command by my Creator, and I intend to fulfill it. Will you?
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Student Essay by Rebekah McKinley:
After some extremely difficult circumstances throughout my middle school and early high school years, I decided I wanted to be done with school as soon as possible, and if I had to go to college, I wanted to be done with that as soon as possible as well. This desire was in spite of the fact that I had loved learning about almost everything since before I can remember.
We learned about CLEP tests from another homeschool family and decided to go with that method for the time being. Basically, students study material at their pace and take a college-level test (for three to six college credits each) when they are ready. In some cases, students can get an entire degree by taking tests and a few upper-level classes. So off I went. By the end of my sophomore year I had taken seven CLEPs plus the PSAT, SAT, and ACT.
I still hadn’t found any other young people who enjoyed school work, excellence, and activities of long-term value. Those I met at church and even homeschool events seemed to only be interested in the opposite gender, malls, makeup, movies I wouldn’t watch, sports, music I wouldn’t listen to, clothes I’d never wear, and other equally unattractive things that, at least to me, have no lasting value. (Please know that I am not inherently opposed to most of those things; I just wanted to meet young people who valued longer-lasting, more worthwhile pursuits.)
Where were the ones who cared, who did things that mattered? For a while I wondered if it would be worth going to a private school; at least I would have something in common, if only being in the same classes and being a student!
Fortunately, my dad found Homeschool Honor Society at the beginning of my sophomore year and convinced me to try it (by then I had pretty much decided I must be the only person like myself). I am very thankful I attended that first meeting, because I finally met other students who enjoyed academics, did things that benefited them long-term, treated their parents, families, selves, and each other well, and had conversations about things that mattered, not inane topics no one would even remember two days later.
I am enormously grateful that two homeschool moms founded the original chapter, two other homeschool moms founded the one I am honored to be a part of, and that we discovered it and went to the first meeting. I appreciate the camaraderie, the encouragement, and the similar interests I've found among my fellow students, as well as the excellent guidance our group has had from the advisers.
I've learned many important skills as part of Honor Society, such as professionalism, leadership, how to create a resume, how to write a transcript, and parliamentary procedure. I've also learned test preparation skills for important tests such as SAT, ACT, and PSAT, as well as interview preparation skills and how to tackle college and scholarship applications.
Honor Society has given me the confidence to try many new activities and go on adventures I probably wouldn't have tried before. I've learned valuable leadership skills I’ll use in the future from holding multiple officer positions over the years; I've heard about opportunities I wouldn't have known about from other members and their parents; I've shared opportunities I've discovered; I’ve made friends I’ll keep in touch with, probably for many years; I’ve found a community of like-minded students and parents.
When I went home after that first meeting, I knew I’d come to a turning point in my educational journey. I had found what I was looking for: friends who shared my passions and desires and were facing the same decisions, a supportive community. I’ve never looked back. After joining Honor Society, I began enjoying my studies again and now look forward to pursuing them further in college. I honestly don’t know where I’d be today without Honor Society. It has been one of the defining features of my high school years. Being part of the group has helped me in innumerable ways; perhaps most importantly, I realized I was not the “only one” — far from it. Going to that first meeting was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. If you are considering Honor Society, believe me: it’s worth it.
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