Houston Community College boasts many honor societies which vary in membership benefits. Though benefits can range from discounts on products to scholarships, the ultimate goal for societies is to leave a lasting impression on those who choose to become active in one of these organizations.

The National Society for Leadership and Success has had that lasting impression on many of those who were inducted into the society this past semester.

“Being a part of this organization has helped me to see that I can make a difference in this world for the good,” says Cynthia Hall a NSLS inductee and HCC Central student. Membership induction is based on a few factors. Unlike other honor societies NSLS requires students looking to be inducted to complete steps prior to induction.

These steps include attending an orientation, Leadership training, three Student Network Team group meetings, and three speaker broadcasts.

Hall admits that following the steps to induction was difficult with her busy personal and school schedule but experienced a sense of success after being inducted into the society this past April.

Members are notified of their invitation to join the society in the beginning of the fall and spring semesters and are given as much time as needed to complete the steps, though events are scheduled to assist students in completing their goals within a single semester.

Student Network Team Coordinator Nelva Quintero who was inducted into the society in fall 2015 has also noticed a positive change in herself since joining NSLS.

“Being apart of the society has allowed me to discover my hidden leadership skills, interact with new people on a daily basis and make new friends along the way” says Quintero. The society encourages it’s members to get involved beyond induction and puts emphasis on taking leadership not just on campus but within the community as well.

Qunitero continues, “This organization has helped improve my communication skills, manage different characters and most importantly stand up for people who need coaching, listening or just being by their side whenever they need it.”

This semester the Central Chapter doubled their number of inductees from 71 last fall 2015 to 150 this spring 2016.

“Though having a smaller group last semester allowed inductees to have more personalized attention, having a bigger group allowed us to find a lot more members who were really engaged and in return the society has gained a lot more useful resources,” says Quintero.

In addition to the 150 members inducted there were also 25 members who received the National Engaged Leadership Award. Those who received this honor have gone above and beyond the steps to induction which include an additional three speaker broadcasts, three Student Networking Team meetings and five hours of community service.