HOBY Ambassadors Grow Leadership Skills

POUGHKEEPSIE – Poughkeepsie High School sophomores Jiahni Higgs and Evelynn Hunter recently attended the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar at Camp Chipinaw in Liberty, New York, joining more than 200 other young high school leaders from the region.

Each spring, select area sophomores from public and private high schools convene at one of the 70 State Leadership Seminars across the country to recognize their leadership talents and apply them to become effective and ethical leaders. Student participants (known as HOBY Ambassadors) take part in hands-on activities, meet leaders in their state, and explore their own personal leadership skills while learning how to lead others and make a positive impact in their community.

At the end of the seminar, the HOBY Ambassadors were challenged to give back by serving at least 100 volunteer hours in their communities. Students who complete the Leadership for Service (L4S) Challenge within 12 months of their seminar are eligible for the HOBY L4S Challenge Award and the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Alumni who log 4,000 hours of service receive the President’s Call to Service Award from HOBY.

To date, HOBY Ambassadors have performed over 3 million hours of volunteer service in their communities.

Following a motivational meeting with Dr. Albert Schweitzer during a trip to Africa in 1958, Actor Hugh O’Brian was inspired to establish Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership. “One of the things Dr. Schweitzer said to me was that the most important thing in education was to teach young people to think for themselves,” O’Brian said.

For more information on HOBY, visit www.hoby.org. Congratulations, Jiahni and Evelynn, we look forward to seeing how this experience impacts you and our community. And, a big thank you to Rhinbeck Bank and Ulster Savings Bank for providing scholarshops for our students.

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