Through my scholarship with NSHSS and The Intern Group, I worked in Medellin, Colombia for six weeks as a strategy intern at one of the city's top aesthetic surgery clinics, interviewing clients and helping craft a customer retention plan. It was an amazing experience that allowed me to fulfill my goal of working in a Spanish-speaking country. While interning abroad, I greatly improved my Spanish, made several long-lasting friendships with students all over the world, fell in love with Colombian culture, and gained valuable work experience that helped me secure an awesome internship at Doctors Without Borders. My advice to potential NSHSS members is to not only join, but get involved! I didn't expect to win the scholarship, but I'm so grateful I applied since it was truly one of the best experiences I've had.

"I believe the National Society of High School Scholars has impacted my life by encouraging me to pursue academic excellence that will eventually culminate in an improvement in global health services. To all potential members, the National Society of High School Scholars will provide you with an unparalleled network of opportunities for global improvement."

The CIA STEM Camp was an amazing experience that helped me explore a new career path. Because of the camp, I am now considering becoming an engineer instead of a psychologist. Talking to the staff, especially the engineers, really inspired me! The agency members are all extremely kind and welcoming, they answered all our questions and explained their roles. I recommend applying for the Camp because you’ll meet interesting intelligence officers and network with other students. I was able to make friends from across the country and talk one-on-one with some of the CIA advisors who encouraged me to broaden my horizon. The camp was extraordinary; my thanks to NSHSS and the CIA for allowing me that opportunity.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to teach English in two orphanages on the New Mexico and Guatemala borders. I was led into this community of 33 orphans living in a home about the size of two school buses and asked to teach English. I feel really blessed that the Society honored and recognized my work in the orphanage because with the recognition of my work, I was able to make my dream of going to college a reality.

"I am so grateful for these years of NSHSS experiences. I have been awarded a full scholarship to participate as an ambassador in the prestigious Congress-Buderstag Youth Exchange Program funded by the US State Department, and I am studying abroad in Germany, where I am on the way to mastering my fourth language - Deutsche. I am a firm believer that languages are the tool to connect human beings, to expand my world view, and to appreciate cultural diversity. I was selected as a merit scholar at the University of Notre Dame majoring in Computer Science, and will stay committed to community service, which will have a lasting impact on the world."

NSHSS has impacted my life by giving me unique opportunities to experience and explore career fields and work in environments that I would not have had the chance to explore otherwise. The STEM Camp was an experience that I will always remember, and is something unique that I guarantee I would not be able to do outside of NSHSS.