The British International School of Washington is invited each year to send to students to the Hugh O’Brian youth leadership seminar, more commonly referred to as HOBY. Throughout the course of Friday, the 19th and Saturday the 20th I was fortunate enough to be BISW’s 2020 representative
HOBY is a non-profit organization founded in 1958 and has since dedicated their efforts towards "training and nurturing the young leaders of tomorrow." Their mission is to provide lifelong leadership development opportunities that empower high school students within the United States. This became possible as they achieved their highest potential and acquired knowledge upon fundamental attributes of an effective leader.
I was able to represent our school and district at the virtual conference this year, among various other sophomores’ from across the nation, all with the objective of ultimately becoming a HOBY ambassador.
This rigorous two-day course was composed of like-minded students, activities aimed to develop individual leadership skills and highlighted collaborative approaches. These goals were achieved by attacking societal problems within our local communities, with consideration and integration of the UNESCO sustainable development goals to focus our ambitions.
During the daily seminars we were fortunate enough to attend conferences with inspiring and accomplished keynote speakers such as Rainn Wilson, Carla Hall, Steve McNamara, Regan Leahy, Lamar Womble and a few others. These revered individuals provided insights upon their experiences and offered kind words of guidance in the hope of furthering and encouraging adolescents to pursue their aspirations.
Despite having thoroughly enjoyed all presentations there were select points which truly resonated with me and inspired me to change, to better myself.
Presenter Lamar Womble one of my favorite speakers, his presentation discussed group leadership and the core values of a successful leader. This speech has forever changed my perspective on what it means to work as a group and strive as an individual. He introduced this concept of ‘The Big Two’, which states that empathy and execution are the key components which define a successful leader from others. He explained to be well regarded leader one would have to integrate the ideas of others among their own to better visualize the greater picture.
Additionally, highlighting that execution is a vital part of the process many neglect. Stating that the devotion and general presentation of an idea is of equal or of greater importance than an idea. Execution refers to the composition of formal documents or the spoken presentation, however the manner in which certain concepts are communicated determines their acceptance or application in society. His articulated conveyance of these ideas within his speech was truly impactful and prompted me to reflect on my work ethic and negative habits.
This experience developed my understanding of the differences between leading and being an effective leader. The experience also allowed me to create a supportive network of peers and friends who have helped me grow and encouraged me to pursue my ambitions. I was also encouraged to foster purposeful relations among HOBY alumni and collaborate with them to improve personal projects and provide new perspectives. These aspects are what makes HOBY an accredited program and I hope future BISW HOBY representatives are able to experience the nurturing and supportive environment I was exposed to.
- Alexandra Jimenez-Hope
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