Abbott Tech Student Attends
Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Conference

by Caitlin McElroy

Participating in HOBY is definitely what I call one of the best times of my life! Last year when I was a Sophomore I was chosen to go to the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference in East Hartford, Connecticut. It was an amazing experience.

We had an activity on Team Building.  Teams built a city and the “police” discriminated against how much money we had.  In the end each city represented the upper class, the middle class and the lower class. There were panels where we learned about environmental issues, politics, and entrepreneurship. After the seminar, I came back to Abbott Tech extremely enthusiastic.

In July, I had the good fortune to attend the HOBY World Leadership Conference (WLC) at George Washington University in Washington DC. Eighteen students from Connecticut were joined by over 400 students from around the world, including South Korea, Lebanon, Taiwan, and Mexico. At the WLC I learned so much from panels and guest speakers like the U.S Secretary of Education, “Uncle” Don Toco, Richard Gallo (co-founder of the Aids Virus from CT), and Marlon Smith (Anthony Robinson’s Foundation).

A part of the experience that I treasured greatly was learning about many different cultures. During the Global Panel, there was a conflict between Taiwan and Hong Kong. When a Taiwanese ambassador wanted to give his opinion, he was stopped by the adults. Students from all over the world conspired together, cheered and spoke just so that one student could speak his own opinion. The next day after a discussion with the adults, they let him speak. The adults apologized because they saw how much it meant and how passionate we were just to let ONE PERSON speak his opinion.  They realized that everyone in the room were going to become great leaders of the future.

On the last day, no one wanted to leave.  There were shouts of “HOBY High School” and plans of finding ways for all of us to stay. Sadly, we all realized that our challenge is to change the world. We couldn’t change it by all of us being stuck there in the same place. We each had to go home and change our part of the world.  By changing each part of the world, together it can change the world for the better.

Now what am I doing with my experience? At school I’m starting a clothing drive for people in the African nation of Malawi to help end poverty. Also I’m encouraging all Sophomores to get excited about HOBY and apply for the up-coming state seminar.

Notes: The HOBY Program was created by Hugh O’Brian about 50 years ago when he visited Dr. Albert Schweitzer and he said “The most important thing in education is to teach young people to think for themselves.” HOBY is now holding state seminars in all 50 states and countries including South Korea, Taiwan, England, Canada and more.