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Connections Leader Attends Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership

(Howard County Connections)

Reflection: Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership

By: Lisa Silverman

 
As the asset message continues to spread throughout the community, the country, and even the world; other organizations are helping fuel this quest of connections.  The ideals of youth leadership, intergenerational relationships, and community prosperity are the fuel to the fire of organizations, which include Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY).  From July 27 to August 4 over 400 outstanding sophomores representing all 50 states and nearly 20 different countries gathered in Washington D.C. to participate in the 2006 HOBY World Leadership Congress (WLC).  I was fortunate enough to be one of them. 

Throughout the seminar, students had the opportunity to interact with and learn from others who came from a wide array of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.  The program enabled students to network and make friends who will last a lifetime.  According to the website, “Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership provides lifelong leadership development opportunities that empower individuals to achieve their highest potential.”

Students, known as ambassadors, attended presentations and panel discussions of top leaders on a variety of leadership related topics and were challenged to make their own informed decisions at the conclusion of each day about ethical and leadership issues.  Speakers included: General Michael W. Hagee, Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps; Warren Brown, Owner, Cake Love Bakery and Love Cafe - also Host of the Food Network's Sugar; Dr. Robert C. Gallo, Director, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland, Baltimore; and The Honorable Adm. H. Putnam, U.S. Congressman.  Ambassadors also spent the week exploring Washington D.C., volunteering in the community, participating in rigorous leadership training sessions, and engaging in thought provoking conversations with other ambassadors, panelists, and HOBY alumni.

The conference taught us not to settle.  Dream big, and do not be scared to fight adversity.  You will always face the skeptics, those who do not believe.  With a “burning desire,” anything is possible.  Goal setting was stressed throughout the week, and we learned the importance of revisiting our goals every single day in order to stay on the path to success.  Despite our differences, everyone in the world has the same ultimate goal: peace, freedom, and the ability to provide for one’s family. 

During the time we spent in Washington D.C., for the first time I truly understood the definition of tolerance, the ability to respect all points of view.  There were many times I bit my tongue so hard I thought I might bleed to death.  I was truly challenged to accept other students’ views I could not even begin to comprehend including: Osama bin Laden is not a bad person, and rape does not justify abortion.

Ample emotions surrounded part of the group’s trek to the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, a place I have visited before.  It was powerful to see the shocking reactions of students from Germany, when many of them have grown up among others who deny the horrific calamity.  Equally important, it was eye-opening to watch students travel through the museum when they had only met a Jewish person for the first time a few days earlier and had no previous exposure to Jewish history and culture.

The most rewarding part of the program was meeting people from all over the world and developing close friendships in only nine days.  How many sixteen-year old Americans can say that they have friends who reside in Qatar, Afghanistan, or even Iraq?  I am a proud member of that small community.  To understand the daily lives of people in these countries is absolutely heart-wrenching.  It was a relief to hear that they appreciate American support and in some cases, intervention.  The deception of the media became even clearer in my mind. 

After visiting Dr. Albert Schweitzer in South Africa who helped dying civilians who had no access to proper medical care, Actor Hugh O’Brian founded HOBY in 1958. 
Before he left, Schweitzer said to O’Brian, “So what are you going to do with this?”  O’Brian is proud that over 335,000 outstanding high school sophomores have regaled in the HOBY experience, which has resulted in a family of lifetime friendships, over 6,000 marriages, and most important, thousands committed to the HOBY dream of changing the world for the better by uniting its future world leaders.

Before attending the WLC, students first attended local seminars where they represented their own high schools.  The program operates from both monetary and time donations.  Most of the volunteers and even some of the distinguished speakers are HOBY alumnus.  To learn more about HOBY or to volunteer, please check out the website: www.hoby.org.

 
Lisa is an eleventh grader at Centennial High School and co-chair of the Connections Action Team for the initiative.