I have found out that being a student who is a part of National Honors Society takes a great deal of responsibility and requires more than just being academically successful. During the semester, tutoring hours were coveted by all members due to the personal experience of teaching and helping a fellow peer. Once an email is sent out, members immediately sign up for a chance to tutor in a new program whether it be with special needs students in an assigned room or football players in the media center. Driven by my interest in participating in one of these programs, as well as continuing tutoring my one-on-one tutee, I signed up for a program while it was still in development.

To my knowledge, I believed that I would be aiding a teacher with helping a student with an unfamiliar topic during class, but to my surprise, I received an email stating that I would be teaching an after school review session about biology the next day.

My immediate response was to email the secretary of National Honor Society and say that I could not do it. The fear of standing up in front of a full classroom and teaching underclassmen about information that I had to review myself was mind boggling. I was terrified of teaching the underclassmen incorrect information since the session I was holding was meant to be a final exam review. I was at a standstill.

I called my friend who consoled me and told me to think about the bigger benefit; either I would be a part of a program yet have deal with my stage fright, or I could relieve my fears by canceling the review session. I decided to postpone my decision, so I could make a rational choice. Eventually, I was determined to put aside my own needs and help the underclassmen with theirs.

The fateful day came, and I was extremely nervous. My anxiety had been present throughout the entire day, but my heart rate accelerated when it was time to present and teach the powerpoint. At first, I was stumbling with words, but as more students asked questions, I gained more confidence and started to enjoy teaching them. By the end of the session, the underclassmen were answering questions correctly on the review jeopardy, and I felt accomplished.

Being a part of National Honor Society requires being a leader who is able to rise to the occasion and help those around them while also putting others’ needs before theirs. The simple statement “We can fear, or we can care” is especially important not only in the medical field, but also in real life situations where a simple decision can impact multiple lives. Although my experience was on a much smaller scale and towards a much smaller population as compared to Emory’s choice to treat Ebola patients, I believe that this small example of this mindset equips me for larger situations in the near future.