The National Honor Society is hosting guest speakers who exemplify the pillars of excellence of service, leadership, scholarship and character for its members. Award-winning journalist Jim Bryan spoke to students about the value of service on Feb. 7.
Bryan has over 40 years of journalism, video production, screenwriting and marketing experience in film, television, radio and newspapers.
In his community, Bryan volunteers as a board member for a number of charities and organizations, including the Kamehameha Lions Club Foundation, Knights of Columbus, Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership and the Lions Club International Foundation.
Junior Erica Freitas said, “I knew ‘Lion Jim’ before this event. I always see him when I attend LEO club events, but I did not know how much he has accomplished in his life. His life is incredibly admirable because many people speak about doing service but only a few actually put their words into actions.”
Bryan spoke about the opportunities to combine his passions with community service. He wrote and directed a documentary, “We Serve,” that focused on service projects. The documentary received many international awards, including the International President’s Medal of Honor and the International President’s Medal of Leadership.
Bryan emphasized serving others and explained how dedicating time to service projects can go a long way.
Junior Ye Eun Lee said, “I am a member of the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) and we were invited to this event. Although I am not a member of NHS, by attending this informational event, I now know why service is one of the pillars of excellence. Service is one of the categories that I lacked when I applied last year but by bolstering my application with more service experiences, I think that I will have a better chance of being accepted into NHS.”
Bryan said, “I have been a faculty instructor for the District 50 Leadership Institute for nine years. It has been an honor to be a director and mentor for Sacred Hearts Academy, La Pietra Hawaii School for Girls and Kalani High School LEO clubs.”
Because of his service, Bryan has been awarded the Humanitarian of the Year award in 1998, 1999 and 2009 by the City and County of Honolulu.
