Poland Seminary Sophomores, Aurelia Cook, Brooke Hallquist, Ben Horn, and Avery Zmith, were recently chosen for the Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership award. Each student was first nominated on the basis of character and then asked to write an essay as to why they would be a fit candidate for HOBY. Staff filtered through these essays to select top contenders, and now the four chosen students will participate in a conference with other selected students. The seminar will take place June 5th-7th and teach students leadership skills as well as allowing them to collaborate with like-minded individuals. HOBY’s main focus is improving confidence through dialogue and ability based workshops. By improving student’s leadership skills, the organization hopes to aid students in making a positive impact in the world.
The four students are very excited for this opportunity. This kind of event is the first these students have seen. An opportunity for something like this has not been offered yet. A very common excitement is that the students will meet new people. The four will be separated and put with students from other schools. So, this is a perfect opportunity to meet new people. Here is what they said when we interviewed them:
“I applied as soon as it was offered to me. My interest was instantly sparked when I heard of the great opportunities to learn from speakers and meet new friends while also being able to bring back some important knowledge to my town.” said Brooke Hallquist.
“I am very excited for this unique opportunity to connect with other kids my age and learn more about being a good leader” stated Aurelia Cook.
Ben Horn said, “I applied because I thought it would help me improve my leadership skills that would benefit me in the classroom and on my sports teams.”
Avery Zmith told us, “I’m very excited for HOBY. I enjoy talking to new people and I think this will be a great opportunity to meet new people and make connections.”
Overall, the HOBY conference is an amazing opportunity for the selected students, and we wish them luck in their future endeavors!
