Sanford High School junior Yashvi Patel has been selected as the Southern Regional Representative for the Maine National Honor Society (NHS) state chapter, putting Sanford in statewide conversations for the first time.
Earning the position required an application, an essay, and sign-off from advisors Liz White and Heather English and principal Tracy Gibson. The final step was a speech in front of approximately 300 attendees at the NHS state convention. In it, she spoke to what the four core values of NHS (scholarship, service, leadership, and character) mean to her personally, and how Sanford's chapter has lived those values out in real, tangible ways.
"There were 300 people, so it was definitely nerve-wracking," Yashvi said. "But then I got up there, and I kind of knew what to say. It kind of came naturally after a bit."
Sanford's NHS chapter has been busy. Under the scholarship pillar, the chapter launched a tutoring initiative called Study Buddies, an after-school program designed to create a welcoming academic support environment for students who need it. The chapter has also taken on a range of service projects, including community car washes, writing Christmas letters, and organizing blood drives. For Patel, these efforts reflect something bigger than just checking boxes. They speak to what NHS membership is actually supposed to mean.
The position carries real significance for Sanford's chapter. Last year was actually the first year the chapter attended the state convention at all. Ms. White said the timing felt right. "Since taking over, we really wanted to try to build our chapter and kind of reach out as much as possible," she said. "So we thought this is a great opportunity for not only that, but also to see what other schools are doing in their chapters."
This year, Gorham joined Sanford at the convention, but Yashvi hopes to grow that number further. As Southern Regional Representative, she wants to reach out to other schools in the area, including Wells and Massabesic, which have active NHS chapters, and encourage them to participate in future conventions.
"I want to hopefully get those schools and even more schools than that to come up and share their ideas," she said.
The role also keeps Sanford more connected at the state level. Being on the board means the chapter will be in the loop on events and campaigns that might otherwise pass them by.
“Now we are more involved,” Patel said. “It’s nice to know what other people are doing.”
Yashvi will officially transition into her new role in mid-April, when outgoing and incoming officers will meet to hand off responsibilities. As a state officer, she will help plan the annual NHS convention, selecting themes, organizing events, and coordinating a statewide project for all chapters to contribute to.
Closer to home, Sanford's NHS chapter will hold its spring ceremony on May 26, where four juniors will be inducted as the chapter's new officers for the upcoming school year.