The National Honor Society chapter at Arvin High School received the National Honor Society Chapter Pillar Award for their outstanding service to the Arvin community. From 2024 to 2025, these dedicated students completed over 300 hours of community service.
The students are already planning their next community service project, collecting pajamas to distribute throughout the community.
Jose Ongpauco, one of the advisors, said the students have a deep understanding of their community's needs.
"They sense the community, they have their they have their finger on the pulse of the community, they know the needs of the community, and they're able to respond to that need," Ongpauco said.
With over 16,000 active National Honor Society chapters across the country, this marks the first year that Arvin's chapter has won an award for their service. The students have organized monthly clean-ups, worked on a mural and helped with food distribution efforts.
Esmeralda Ramos, a senior, said receiving this award holds special significance for their small community.
"It means a lot coming from such a small community, such a rural community, just to see what we were able to accomplish in the span of a year. And again, we just can't wait to see what else we can accomplish in the following year that after that," Ramos said.
As Ramos prepares to graduate next year, she remains hopeful that the chapter will continue making a positive impact in the community.
"I've seen how much effort they're putting in. Of course, as we're phrasing out, we hope that more people continue and follow our footsteps, and they're able to grill this club to keep doing what we're doing and maybe even put on their own twist," Ramos said.
Kelly Velazquez has been in the Honor Society since her sophomore year and said their backpack drive was one of her favorite events because she was able to help children prepare for the school year.
"We were able to give over 1,000 kids backpacks, and in our community, this is really important. These kids wouldn't have to these kids now don't have to worry about it. And it was just a really big project that took a lot of the community to come together," Velazquez said.
Ongpauco said he's humbled by his students' dedication to serving others instead of pursuing other activities.
"They could be doing something else. But yet they choose, with their own time, they choose to serve their community," Ongpauco said.
The Arvin chapter was also recognized by the city council for receiving this prestigious award.
"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
