Hana Le

Summarizing the crux of their club’s mission, NTHS Officers Arjun Bhardwaj ’25, Nandini Somarapu ’25, and Natalie Maytesyan ’25 stand together at the club’s first meeting. Their enthusiasm and CTE backgrounds serve as a precursor for an eventful year of career preparation for NTHS members.

The room overflowing with CTE students eager to learn about the   prestigious technology-oriented organization, National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) kicked off its first meeting of the year on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

The meeting began with a warm welcome from NTHS President Arjun Bhardwaj ‘25, who was visibly moved by the large attendance. Bhardwaj outlined the club’s ambitious plans for the year, and highlighted the importance of taking collective initiative, introducing a variety of volunteering opportunities and collaborative events within the community to emphasize his point.

“Here today, I was so happy seeing so many people, it brought tears to my eyes,” Bhardwaj said. “It’s amazing because this year, there’s going to be a lot of great things happening. We’re going to have a lot of volunteering opportunities for our members and a lot of community events. In fact, one big thing right now is the career fair we’re holding next Wednesday with the Academy Ambassadors. We’re also reaching out to elementary schools for more volunteering.”

During the course of the meeting, a breakdown of the club’s events was provided, with officers going in-depth into some of the activities taking place in the near-future. A highlight of the club’s upcoming activities for a majority of the members is the long-awaited induction ceremony. This event is particularly significant as it marks the first induction in four years, symbolizing the club’s strong resurgence at Westwood.

“I’m super excited about the induction ceremony,” Bhardwaj said. “Induction has not been able to happen at NTHS yet since COVID, and so starting that up again is going to be a great experience for us and it’s going to help grow our club.”

The advancement of NTHS gives CTE students a platform for growth, leadership, and community service. Treasurer Saisha Siram ‘26 emphasized the club’s defining characteristic of professional collaboration, describing it as the trait that sets NTHS apart from other CTE clubs at Westwood. 

“One thing that differentiates NTHS is that it connects kids across all CTE boards,” Siram said. “[Westwood] has a lot of career specific clubs like DECA or HOSA or even Tech Starters, but NTHS is the only one that allows people from the health community to connect with people from business, for example. Our volunteering opportunities give a chance for students to network and get more involved in the local Austin community outside of Westwood as well.”

As the meeting concluded, there was a palpable sense of excitement among the attendees. Returning member Mikayla Smith ‘25 voiced the excitement by encouraging other students to join NTHS. She emphasized the club’s relevance in today’s technology-driven world and its role in promoting school involvement. 

“If you’re a student taking a CTE class, you should definitely go ahead [and] join because it’s one of the only clubs that you can join based on being in a CTE class,” Smith said. “It promotes being involved with the school and technology, [and] especially with the world changing and being technology based, I feel like [NTHS] can be really important and applicable to anyone.”