First day. Freshman year. Alone. Nervous. It was like being a baby bird, and then your mother comes home to nest one day and tells you, “Go ahead. Fly.” I stood on the campus of Howard University in a daze. Upperclassmen brushed past me, hurriedly running to class. Everyone seemed so…busy. It was hard to focus even. But slowly and surely I got that hang of it, and things became fluid. I loved my classes. I loved my friends. I loved everything about my school, and my GPA proved that I had done well in my first year. So, it was no coincidence that in the summer of 2010 I received an invitation from The National Society of Collegiate Scholars. I was ecstatic. To be recognized my freshman year of college for my scholastic achievements made me feel like all my work had not been in vain. It was the ultimate feeling of success.
I gladly joined the organization in the fall of 2010, and my experience since then with the organization has been nothing short of amazing. My mother, sister, and aunt all came down to Howard University to watch me as I was inducted into NSCS. The ceremony was wonderful. Everyone there was smiling. You could feel the pride radiating throughout the room. We were the cream of the crop. We were at the top of our class. We were essentially the National Society of Collegiate Scholars Class of 2010. I received my pin that day and wore it with pride. Since that day, I have made The National Society of Collegiate Scholars one of the biggest parts of my undergraduate experience. In the spring of 2011, I was given an internship at the national office in Washington, DC. My internship with NSCS has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. As a Member Relations Intern, I am in constant contact with our members, helping them out with any questions or concerns they may have, or even possibly just being there to congratulate them on their achievements.
I was recently voted the Community Service Chair of my chapter, and it is a position that I have fallen in love with. There is no better feeling than helping those who are less fortunate than we are. Community service is something that I hold near and dear to my heart, and if it were not for my position with NSCS, I would not have ever been able to meet some of the fabulous people that I have met this year or taken part in some of the wonderful events that I have been so honored to have helped out with.
I love my e-board position. I love my internship. I love NSCS. It is an amazing organization full of amazing people who do amazing things, and if I had to do it all over again, I would join the organization twice.
If you’re interested in joining The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, you don’t have to wait for an invitation… they offer a self-nomination process!
Jeanette Bavwidinsi is a junior Public Relations major and History minor at Howard University and she’s from the illustrious city of Philadelphia. She has been a member of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars since 2010 and is currently holding a position as a Member Relations Intern at the NSCS national office, serves as her chapter’s Community Service Chair and is a regular contributor to the NSCS blog, TalkNerdy2Me. She loves listening to music, singing, spending time with her friends, reading and playing the guitar. To know her is to love her.