8.06.2015

Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
Thirty-Sixth Edition, August 6, 2015

Featured Alumnae: 
Angelina Suwoto (SE), Inika Jain (NW), and Pari Bhat (NW)
(The GAHOBY Ambassadors at WLC 2015) 

Angelina Suwoto (SouthEast) 
Brookwood High School
When I first signed up for the World Leadership Congress, I wasn't sure if I had made the right choice. The price was hefty, after all, and I figured all I was about to do was repeat my state HOBY seminar experience. Well, I was dead wrong. WLC was an augment to my HOBY experience, arming me with new skills and talents that I hadn't even known I'd possessed. Over the week, I was able to meet over a hundred ambassadors from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Italy, France, Turkey, the Philippines, Canada, and Mexico, along with 300 ambassadors from all over the United States--all of whom seemed to act exactly like I felt. All 450 ambassadors participated in leadership activities, diligently took notes from our absolutely enlightening and fantastic speakers, shoveled mulch, explored Chicago, packed lentils, learned about world hunger and healthcare, made awkward conversations, laughed together, tried to stay awake with coffee and candy, HOBY hugged, cheered (of course!), and cried on one another's shoulders as a team. And even during the times where we mingled with people from other groups, I met amazing and talented people all across the globe who I would consider kin. At HOBY, they say it's all part of building your communication network, but we all know it's more than that. It's making for yourself a second family. I've never grown closer to anyone in a week than with my new friends at HOBY. The most impressive bonding time and possibly my favorite part of the week was the Tunnel of Love activity. In short, we lined up in two rows facing one another, and one by one we would walk blindfolded down the aisle between our two rows. If there was someone passing who you wanted to say something to, you would pull them aside and whisper in their ear. Everything was completely anonymous, which somehow made the spoken words that much more touching. It sounds like a dumb activity, and at first I thought it was, but I was struck by solemnity halfway through. We were to leave WLC in two days. We had been in Chicago for almost six. And those six days were profound enough that they sent my head spinning. Walking blind down that path in the dark evening, guided by hands and hugged by friends, I realized just how tightly woven we at HOBY were and are. I'm not ashamed to say that I cried upon hearing what some people had to say. I sincerely grew during my WLC week. Looking back, the change is as extraordinary as the week! I entered WLC restless and unsure, fidgety and nervous about fitting in. By Friday, I had never felt so accepted. I'm not sure what it is about HOBY seminars, but they are always Outstanding, it must be that HOBY Magic! This was one of those weeks where I've never cried so despairingly and yet never laughed so brightly. This is one of those weeks where you come in lost and leave never feeling quite the same.

Inika Jain (NorthWest)
Milton High School
My favorite memory from WLC was volunteering with the service project of beautifying Humboldt Park and making it more usable because we could see the direct correlation between our work and the result that others would be able to use. Our HOBY Daddy said that someone had come up to him and said that a couple days after the project, people came up to him in Chicago while we were touring and expressed how grateful they were for us to clean up there community. Mulching, painting, and beautfying the park was much more than a few hours of the WLC ambassadors time to clean up a part of Chicago. It showed the immense impact that one act of serice has! I also really enjoyed the speakers as well as when we got to interact with them because it truly helped me to open my eyes to the issues in the community for me to work toward solving. Lastly, my biggest and most cherished memories would have to be all of the ones I made with my group. We all gelled together so well and truly love each other, which is what makes us know that we will stay friends long after WLC. We had so many laughs, cries, and mishaps, and all of them are what made us become such a tight knit family. WLC was not only such an awesome experience that I will never forget, but also the best week of my life, and I know every single ambassador sitting in that room would say the same.

Pari Bhat (NorthWest)
Eagle's Landing High School
As I was about to get on my plane to Chicago, I turned to say bye to my little brother. He said "Nice knowin' ya!" I didn't think much of it at the time. However, as I was leaving WLC I realized he was right. I wasn't the same person going into WLC as I was coming out of it. I had become more compassionate, yet more determined to achieve my goals. 457 juniors from literally around the world arrived on Loyola University campus not knowing what to expect. We didn't know that we would make unbreakable bonds. We didn't know that we would find people with cultures so different from ours, yet still be able to connect with them instantaneously. When people from my local seminar ask me about WLC, I only have a few words for them. "HOBY on steroids." It was challenging and we were all pushed to our limits, but I have no doubt that every single one of us would not want to change a single moment. This life-changing experience would not have been possible without the tireless work of the volunteers and the staff. I would like to personally thank everyone involved for making my HOBY experience a memorable one.


From Left to Right Angelina, Inika, and Pari


All of the WLC 2015 Staff and Ambassadors!!


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