By Samantha Smith
Youngstown State University’s National Society of Collegiate Scholars is an organization for students to build on their leadership and service skills while also providing opportunities for scholarships and more.
David Hughley III, a junior marketing major and co-president and treasurer of NSCS, explains more of what the organization is.
“We are one of the more selective honor societies in the country,” he said. “Scholarship, leadership and service are our three main pillars, and we take pride in that.”
An important skill the organization can help with, he said, is communication.
“If you improve your communication skills, both verbally and in writing, you’ll set yourself apart drastically, and we really pride ourselves on that,” Hughley said.
He explained what the recruitment process into the NSCS is like for students.
“For a small fee — it could be waived depending on their situation — they get accepted, they get a letter and then there’s a virtual induction ceremony,” Hughley said. “Then, afterward, they’ll have to put their information in this application portal for scholarships.”
He said the student is immediately given resources for networking and scholarships upon acceptance. Students who receive an invitation for recruitment will go through this process.
Samantha McCullough, a senior biochemistry major and co-president of the NSCS, explained more about the invitations.
“It is an invitation society,” McCullough said. “We go through and we send out invitations to anyone who meets the qualifications throughout the university.”
She said if a student feels that they fit the requirement — a 3.0 or higher GPA — for the organization, they can request an invitation at nscs.org.
As of now, Hughley said the organization is still in its planning stage in terms of hosting events, volunteering and more. He said the organization wants to make sure it has many students interested and able to join before events begin.
“There is no pressure in joining an organization like this,” Hughley said. “It might be seen as selective or really high-end — it’s nothing like that. You can really come to us as people first, like if you have stuff going on. We’ll always be here to help you and try our best.”
For more information on YSU’s NSCS, visit its webpage at nscs.org. For any questions about NSCS, contact Hughley at [email protected] or McCullough at [email protected]