Fundraisers ongoing for Rockmart HOBY students
Students at Rockmart High School have the opportunity to participate in a summer leadership experience but need the school and community’s help.
The Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) Seminar provides rising juniors with a weekend of leadership and community service experience and activities.
HOBY is an all-volunteer organization that was started in 1958 by celebrity actor Hugh O’Brian when he was challenged to use his success and experience to make a difference in the world. Three-day HOBY Leadership Seminars were organized, allowing high schools across the country to send a sophomore representative from their school to attend a seminar in their state.
HOBY’s goal is to inspire students to make a difference and become motivators for positive change in their home, school, workplace, and community, which the organization has done for over five decades by successfully leading youth and volunteers to lives of service and leadership.
In Georgia, two HOBY Seminars are held each summer, one for the Northeast region of the state and another for the Southwest region. The events are held on college campuses, with this year’s hosts being Oglethorpe University and Georgia College and State University.
Students from Rockmart High School have attended the seminars in the past, but two sophomores, Lauren Allred and Alyvia Hope, were recently selected through an application and interview process to represent their school as Ambassadors at the upcoming Northeast Seminar in June.
“HOBY is an excellent opportunity for our students,” Rockmart High School Assistant Principal Shea Floyd said. “This program gives our students the tools and skills to become confident, intelligent leaders and gives them an awesome lifetime support group and experience.”
Due to the expense of attending, the two Rockmart students are conducting fundraisers within the school to pay the fees.
Over the past few weeks, they have organized several hat days and Chick-fil-A cookie sales to help raise money for expenses.
They plan to conduct more activities in the coming weeks as they are currently $143 short of their $520 goal for this year’s seminar.
In addition to paying for the 2019 event, the students wish to create a scholarship fund for Rockmart sophomores who will attend HOBY in the coming years, as well as for Rockmart HOBY Ambassadors who are eager to return to the seminar as members of the Junior Staff.
If interested in donating or supporting Rockmart HOBY students, you may contact Principal Robyn Teems at Rockmart High School by calling 770-6845432.
Editor’s Note: For the purposes of full disclosure, Lorene Parker was a past Ambassador and upcoming Junior Staff member at the HOBY Leadership Seminar.