Scholarships - Top NHS Award Interview

 Chosen from nearly 17,000 applicants, the National Honor Society (NHS) named Ella Mayor, a senior at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley, CA, the $25,000 National Honor Society Scholarship winner. NHS is supported by its parent organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), which also administers the National Association of Student Councils. 

“This scholarship means more than just money for college,” said Ella. “It represents an honor bestowed to my small public school in Simi Valley, my parents who immigrated from the Philippines in search of a better life for me in America and humble recognition of the hard work I’ve put in throughout high school. As a first-generation Filipino American, I will never forget the support NHS has provided me in my journey to achieving a healthier, more equitable future for generations to come.” 

From a pool of 16,697 applicants, Ella distinguished herself as a dedicated volunteer, public speaker and healthcare advocate. A resident of Simi Valley, she has served as president of Santa Susana High School's NHS chapter for two years, and she has collaborated with the nonprofit, Forever Found, to donate clothing to trafficked children in India, Thailand and Ethiopia. Ella's leadership extends to various school organizations, including STEM for Girls Excelling in Math and Science (GEMS), HOSA-Future Health Professionals, National Ethics Bowl and peer tutoring. She works more than 25 hours a week in a CVS pharmacy, and she works as a private tutor. She also enjoys speaking about groundbreaking research alongside UCLA professors at annual stem cell and neuroscience symposiums. As Chief Medical Officer of the Ventura County Medical Explorer Foundation, she helped partner with Safe Passage to volunteer in mobile vaccine clinics located in underserved areas. In 2024, she was named "Student of the Year" by Rotary International. 

NHS awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to 600 high school seniors this year. Four of the top finalists were awarded a $10,625 scholarship for embodying the pillars of NHS membership: Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character. The recipients of these awards are Elizabeth Djajalie from Juneau, AK, for Scholarship; Chase Hartman from Tampa, FL, for Service; Jensen Coonradt from Oswego, IL, for Leadership; and Aadya Gattu from Warrington, PA, for Character. Twenty finalists received $5,625 and the national winner received $25,000. Their bios are here.  

"These NHS scholarship winners are leaving behind an incredible legacy as they embark on their next adventure,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. "Throughout their time in NHS, they’ve tackled challenges from child trafficking to health literacy, published critical work including poems, research and a children’s book, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for worthy causes. Their tremendous efforts reflect what NHS is all about." 

The announcement was part of NASSP’s Trailblazing Leadership Week, bringing together the 2024 State Assistant Principals of the Year and the NHS Scholarship finalists to celebrate their accomplishments and connect with one another. NASSP also announced the National Assistant Principal of the Year during the event. 

You can learn more about Ella in this interview.

Why did you decide to join NHS?

I joined NHS because growing up, it's always been about how much I can do for others, and that's what NHS is all about. It's about bringing together a group of talented, like-minded students to create meaningful impact in your community and beyond. I wanted to center my life on this principle, and connect with a network of underserved communities whose stories I could learn from.

Additionally, I was initially intrigued about the type of community I would be a part of and the various benefits of joining. NHS offers a vast array of resources that enabled me to succeed during my high school career. In my chapter, we actively seek out volunteering opportunities such as park cleanups in collaboration with our Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, group college tours to schools like UCLA to encourage pursuing higher education, and for seniors, we give out local scholarships, along with various awards to recognize members in the areas of each pillar. With the help of our national chapter, we were able to recognize 170+ students in our chapter as official members this year, and have facilitated over 60 service projects, including providing aid to sheltered animals across Ventura County and bettering our environment through ecosystem remediation projects. Our students have led initiatives that increased accessibility to STEM education in a local elementary school, provided a safe-space for those with special need/disabilities, and donated 57 units of blood with the help of our community. 

What are some ways that NHS has helped you improve your leadership skills?

As president of my NHS chapter, I quickly learned what works and doesn't work in terms of leadership. Though leading a chapter that has grown to over 170+ students has not been an easy feat, I found ways to navigate through such obstacles and gained values that will carry on through the rest of my life. Most importantly, I learned that being a leader isn't about commanding a group of people to have them do what you want—but rather, it is about supporting a team and helping them make their ideas possible every step of the way. Take initiative—be the first one to raise your hand in class, the first to compliment a stranger you don't know, or the first to act on an issue you see in your community. 

How might you carry the pillars of NHS with you in your post-high school plans?

As I enter college, I instill the principles of service, leadership, character, and scholarship in all that I do. With service, I will always adopt a mindset to put the interests of others first and make efforts to continuously dedicate time to volunteer in my community every chance I get. With leadership, I tell myself that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to—and to keep challenging the conventional notion of what a leader should look like. With character, I lead with the motto "empathy within impact," ensuring that the people around me are seen and heard. Lastly, with scholarship, I will lead life valuing the importance of education and how it gives hope to entire communities as a stepping stone to opportunities.