5.10.2016

Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
Sixty-Fourth Edition, May 10, 2016

Featured Alumnus: Caleb Siler '12
I remember the first time I heard about HOBY. I was pulled into the counselor’s office of my high school, and I was told I had been selected to attend this thing called HOBY that upcoming summer. I agreed to going without really knowing fully what I was getting myself into. I spent the rest of my second semester of sophomore year with HOBY far back in my mind. Finally, the day before the first day of HOBY arrives and I do not want to go. I end up calling my friend who had gone through the experience before so he could give me some reason to want to go. He said something along the lives of, “HOBY is full of unicorns, you will fit in perfectly.” 

This response turned out to be very true in many ways:

  •  1. Everyone at HOBY has magical powers
  •  2. They are fabulous beyond belief
  •  3. And, at HOBY, we all ride the pony, a close ancestor to the unicorn. 

However, in all seriousness, if I had said no to going to HOBY, I would not be the person I am today. Today I am attending Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee where I study theatre and film. The performing arts have always been a passion instilled in my heart, and HOBY has given me the drive to not just try, but succeed in my art. From being an actor, to designing, my work process is influenced by the values I learned at HOBY. The theatre world is full of very different people from all different backgrounds meaning people are going to have different ideas. Knowing this is important, according to the HOBY values I learned, because everyone’s ideas are important and can enhance my artistic abilities to be understood by a larger scale of people, especially since acting alone is an art of understanding. 
Service is another huge part of HOBY that has impacted my life. Every year I help run an acting class at my university for adults with learning disabilities. This is not only a great way to help my community, but it is a way that I can help with my talents. The best way to serve your community is to look at what you love doing, and find a way to do that to serve your community. Once you find that one thing, you will never stop serving. 
HOBY has impacted my life in many ways and I hope to keep serving and helping seminar sites around the country until my stature and physical state becomes that of a sloth. I am very honored to be chosen to be the featured alumni, and I can not wait to see how many more amazing alumni HOBY will produce.

HOBY Info:

Amazon Smile
    • If you shop at Amazon, then switch to Amazon Smile (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-2861279). It is the exact same website, but 0.5% of purchases will be donated to a charity of your choice.
    • Choose HOBY Georgia (Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership) as your charity!
    Social Networking!!!
    • Find us on Facebook: GA HOBY Alumni
    • Follow us on Twitter: @GA_HOBY  
    • Follow us on Instagram: hoby_georgia
    • Follow us on Vine: Georgia HOBY
    • Follow us on SnapChat: hobygeorgia
    • Check our the website: www.gahoby.org
    • Check out our YouTube channel: HOBY Georgia
    • Check out http://hobycheers.wikidot.com/list-of-hoby-cheers for awesome cheers
    Hours
    • Keep logging them! Can you accomplish the 100 Hour Challenge? Georgia HOBY knows that you can. Here is the place to do so: https://reg.hoby.org/HOBYL4S/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fHOBYL4S%2f
    • Need ideas for Volunteering projects? Email gahobyalumniadvisor@gmail.com, check the HOBY website: hoby.org, and/or research into what your community needs!
    • How far has your Chain Reaction of Kindness reached?
    This Blog
    • If you would like post a "My Favorite HOBY Experience" in the future on this blog, then email gahobyfundraising@gmail.com also with your response!
    • Be on the lookout for the next Newsletter or My Favorite HOBY Experience Post
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    4.27.2016

    Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
    Sixty-Third Edition, April 27, 2016

    Featured Alumna: Yoomin Chae '11

    I was a minority at my school. Even though I wasn't bullied, I felt out-of-place and lonely. Without even knowing, I was suppressing my esteem, my pride, and my confidence. I slowly started to distance myself from the world. I never voiced my opinions at school and always spent time by myself. I had no confidence whatsoever. One day, walking to class, I saw one of the applications to be a part of HOBY. Without knowing anything about HOBY, except that it was a leadership conference, I simply turned in my application with no expectation for me to get chosen. A few weeks later, when I found out I was selected to attend the conference as the school representative, I was very shocked. I was also scared because I was afraid to meet new people. However, I decided to attend the conference because I thought it would be my last chance to overcome my fears. 

    Attending the HOBY seminar was probably the best decision of my life. Even though it was a challenge, I learned how to be a leader. I also learned the importance of teamwork and communication. After the seminar, I saw the world with different eyes. I began to take initiatives, joining various clubs and making new friends. Becoming a leader changed my life. A year later, I became the Vice-President of Student Council, the Woodwind section leader of the Marching Band, and the Homecoming Queen of my school. I also got accepted to the University of California, Davis, where I am pursuing my Bachelor's degree currently. The story goes on. HOBY made me a leader. HOBY is powerful.

    HOBY Info:

    Amazon Smile
      • If your shop at Amazon, the switch to Amazon Smile (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-2861279). It is the exact same website, but 0.5% of purchases will be donated to a charity of your choice.
      • Choose HOBY Georgia (Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership) as your charity!
      Social Networking!!!
      • Find us on Facebook: GA HOBY Alumni
      • Follow us on Twitter: @GA_HOBY  
      • Follow us on Instagram: hoby_georgia
      • Follow us on Vine: Georgia HOBY
      • Follow us on SnapChat: hobygeorgia
      • Check our the website: www.gahoby.org
      • Check out our YouTube channel: HOBY Georgia
      • Check out http://hobycheers.wikidot.com/list-of-hoby-cheers for awesome cheers
      Hours
      • Keep logging them! Can you accomplish the 100 Hour Challenge? Georgia HOBY knows that you can. Here is the place to do so: https://reg.hoby.org/HOBYL4S/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fHOBYL4S%2f
      • Need ideas for Volunteering projects? Email gahobyalumniadvisor@gmail.com, check the HOBY website: hoby.org, and/or research into what your community needs!
      • How far has your Chain Reaction of Kindness reached?
      This Blog
      • If you would like post a "My Favorite HOBY Experience" in the future on this blog, then email gahobyfundraising@gmail.com also with your response!
      • Be on the lookout for the next Newsletter or My Favorite HOBY Experience Post
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      4.18.2016

      Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
      Sixty-Second Edition, April 18, 2016

      Featured Alumnus: Ross Sheppard '06

      The HOBY Snowball Effect:

      Sparing the details of exactly how this occurred, the abridged version of my story is that HOBY helped craft the self-confidence in my own leadership skills that I later used to succeed in college (inside and outside the classroom). Equally important, HOBY provided me with a network of other high achieving students my age from across the state, none of whom I would have had the opportunity to meet during high school, but many of whom have become not only a major part of my academic and professional network, but also some of my closest friends. 

      When nervously awaiting the decision of my first Junior Staff application, I had not even given thought to a leadership role within HOBY. Those guys were so cool and so grown-up. Well now, I don’t know if I've achieved the cool factor (maybe someone from the current Junior Staff can weigh on in that in the next blog post) but I have definitely grown up. I'm now in my second year as Director of Operations at the Southeast seminar, which is hosted at my alma mater, Georgia College. I'm consistently struck with realizations and reminders that HOBY is to thank for much of the personal success that I achieved in college, which I'm now leveraging to contribute to success in my current role at HOBY.

      In summary, HOBY helped give me the tools I needed to succeed, and the resulting success has allowed me to help HOBY continue to succeed.  I'm honored now to have the opportunity to facilitate that same cycle for whoever the next group of HOBY Ambassadors are that go on to lead this great organization. Who knows…it could be you!

      HOBY Info:

      Amazon Smile
        • If your shop at Amazon, the switch to Amazon Smile (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-2861279). It is the exact same website, but 0.5% of purchases will be donated to a charity of your choice.
        • Choose HOBY Georgia (Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership) as your charity!
        Social Networking!!!
        • Find us on Facebook: GA HOBY Alumni
        • Follow us on Twitter: @GA_HOBY  
        • Follow us on Instagram: hoby_georgia
        • Follow us on Vine: Georgia HOBY
        • Follow us on SnapChat: hobygeorgia
        • Check our the website: www.gahoby.org
        • Check out our YouTube channel: HOBY Georgia
        • Check out http://hobycheers.wikidot.com/list-of-hoby-cheers for awesome cheers
        Hours
        • Keep logging them! Can you accomplish the 100 Hour Challenge? Georgia HOBY knows that you can. Here is the place to do so: https://reg.hoby.org/HOBYL4S/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fHOBYL4S%2f
        • Need ideas for Volunteering projects? Email gahobyalumniadvisor@gmail.com, check the HOBY website: hoby.org, and/or research into what your community needs!
        • How far has your Chain Reaction of Kindness reached?
        This Blog
        • If you would like post a "My Favorite HOBY Experience" in the future on this blog, then email gahobyfundraising@gmail.com also with your response!
        • Be on the lookout for the next Newsletter or My Favorite HOBY Experience Post
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        4.09.2016

        Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
        Sixty-First Edition, April 9, 2016

        Featured Alumna: Fajr DeLane '14


             I am a HOBY Ambassador of 2014, I have always known that eventually my hard work will pay off and continue to pay off. But I never knew that our world had a place where “HOBY” existed. I never knew that I could be surrounded with so much like minded, incredible, powerful and positive people who were just like me. I was so amazed when we as a human race got together no matter what race, religion or creed for the purpose of making our world a better place and becoming an incredible leader by first starting with our self, then our community and eventually the world. HOBY is my home, where I know I will meet and see people who are striving for greatness and want to inspire others. HOBY is a network, a family network of people who want to support greatness, HOBY is a beautiful family that I am so blessed to be a part of and help contribute to the inspiration of High School Sophomores. This year I had the honor of returning to HOBY as a Junior Staffer and being part of the 2015 Social Media Team for GA NorthWest, what I learned at HOBY this year was that our staff was determined to give "MAGIC" to the ambassadors, while we(staff) received the "MAGIC" that was enlightened in them.
             I am so thrilled to have launched my ''F3''~Fun.Fit.Fabulous! clinic for young girls from the ages of 7-14. "F3" is all about developing each individual to be their ultimate best. An amazing way I found to accomplish that is by having fun, being fit and of course being your fabulous self. The one day clinic consisted of yoga, setting vision boards, and having a guest speaker from the University of Georgia come teach the youth about the importance of nutrition. Also, we had dancing, our glam squad (volunteers who did the girls nails, hair, clothes etc.) and ended the day off with a fabulous FASHION SHOW! I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this without the help of Allah, my family, mentors, HOBY and volunteers. Thank you so much for all the support and love! Can't wait to see what the future holds Insha'Allah (God Willing)! Let's continue to make GREAT CHANGE in our world! Always remember my people, stay Fun Fit & Fabulous! If you ever are contemplating about serving and or living out your dreams, just ask yourself, “If not me, then who…” So everyone in your own way, Empower. Lead. Excel!

        HOBY Info:

        Amazon Smile
          • If your shop at Amazon, the switch to Amazon Smile (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-2861279). It is the exact same website, but 0.5% of purchases will be donated to a charity of your choice.
          • Choose HOBY Georgia (Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership) as your charity!
          Social Networking!!!
          • Find us on Facebook: GA HOBY Alumni
          • Follow us on Twitter: @GA_HOBY  
          • Follow us on Instagram: hoby_georgia
          • Follow us on Vine: Georgia HOBY
          • Follow us on SnapChat: hobygeorgia
          • Check our the website: www.gahoby.org
          • Check out our YouTube channel: HOBY Georgia
          • Check out http://hobycheers.wikidot.com/list-of-hoby-cheers for awesome cheers
          Hours
          • Keep logging them! Can you accomplish the 100 Hour Challenge? Georgia HOBY knows that you can. Here is the place to do so: https://reg.hoby.org/HOBYL4S/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fHOBYL4S%2f
          • Need ideas for Volunteering projects? Email gahobyalumniadvisor@gmail.com, check the HOBY website: hoby.org, and/or research into what your community needs!
          • How far has your Chain Reaction of Kindness reached?
          This Blog
          • If you would like post a "My Favorite HOBY Experience" in the future on this blog, then email gahobyfundraising@gmail.com also with your response!
          • Be on the lookout for the next Newsletter or My Favorite HOBY Experience Post
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          3.30.2016

          Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
          Sixtieth Edition, March 30, 2016

          Featured Alumna: Victoria Culver '12

               As so many of you, I never knew what I was getting in to when my high school counselor pulled me to the side of the hall one day and told me that I had been nominated to go to HOBY. The only thing that she knew about HOBY was that it was “a leadership seminar that would only take one weekend of my summer.” To this day, I can’t help but be blessed that I had been selected to attend HOBY as an ambassador, and I am even more fortunate to continue going back every year as part of the staff since my ambassador year in 2012. I try to live by the staff’s motto each time that I return, “Make it better than your year.” That is a difficult task to do since my first year was such an incredible experience, but somehow, together, all of the staff manages to do just that. Every year, I leave HOBY with a new light, a new spark, and a new generation of my HOBY family.
               When asked to describe HOBY, my mind draws a blank. There are absolutely no words that can sum up HOBY and the whole experience. The only word that can touch just the tip of the iceberg of what HOBY is, is Outstanding. The word itself is pretty self-explanatory. The dictionary defines it as exceptionally good, marked by superiority or distinction, excellent, and distinguished. HOBY, and all of its participants are just that and more. When asked to explain what HOBY means to me, once I start talking, it is hard for me to stop. As cliché as it might sound, HOBY has been a life changing experience for me, one that I will never forget and will continue sharing forever. As I left my first seminar in 2012, I initially didn’t feel the magnitude of the change that had taken place over the 72 or so hours that I had spent at HOBY. In the weeks and months that followed, I began to realize that HOBY had sparked a fire within me, helping me understand who I was and my position as a leader, as well as identifying my passions.
               Through HOBY, I have gotten more than just the tools and understandings of how to be a good leader. My favorite thing that I have taken away from HOBY are the amazing friends that I have made, though we are spread out all across Georgia. Even now, though it has been almost 5 years and we have spread across the country for college and jobs, we all still manage to keep in touch with each other, continuing to grow in our friendship. Every year, this group has grown with the addition of new ambassadors and staff members. These people are my HOBY family, and don’t know what I would do without them.
               HOBY really does mean to me more than words will ever be able to express. And as I tell people who are curious about what HOBY is like, it’s just something you have to be there, see and experience for yourself to really grasp what it is all about. I am ecstatic to be returning to HOBY for my fifth year this coming summer and can’t wait to see what it has in store for me and the upcoming ambassadors. HOBY Time and all, I know it will the best one yet!
               Stay Outstanding!

          HOBY Info:

          Amazon Smile
            • If your shop at Amazon, the switch to Amazon Smile (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-2861279). It is the exact same website, but 0.5% of purchases will be donated to a charity of your choice.
            • Choose HOBY Georgia (Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership) as your charity!
            Social Networking!!!
            • Find us on Facebook: GA HOBY Alumni
            • Follow us on Twitter: @GA_HOBY  
            • Follow us on Instagram: hoby_georgia
            • Follow us on Vine: Georgia HOBY
            • Follow us on SnapChat: hobygeorgia
            • Check our the website: www.gahoby.org
            • Check out our YouTube channel: HOBY Georgia
            • Check out http://hobycheers.wikidot.com/list-of-hoby-cheers for awesome cheers
            Hours
            • Keep logging them! Can you accomplish the 100 Hour Challenge? Georgia HOBY knows that you can. Here is the place to do so: https://reg.hoby.org/HOBYL4S/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fHOBYL4S%2f
            • Need ideas for Volunteering projects? Email gahobyalumniadvisor@gmail.com, check the HOBY website: hoby.org, and/or research into what your community needs!
            • How far has your Chain Reaction of Kindness reached?
            This Blog
            • If you would like post a "My Favorite HOBY Experience" in the future on this blog, then email gahobyfundraising@gmail.com also with your response!
            • Be on the lookout for the next Newsletter or My Favorite HOBY Experience Post
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            3.23.2016

            Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
            Fifty-Ninth Edition, March 23, 2016

            Featured Alumna: Ariana Youmans Keenahan '04


                 I know from reading prior posts that I’m not alone in my small town beginnings. Like others, I came from a cookie-cutter town filled with cookie-cutter people and HOBY was the first time I remember coming into contact with what I considered to be true diversity. Never before had I felt so alike and so different from a group of people all at once. It opened my eyes to a world beyond just myself and my hometown and it allowed me to value others in ways I had not previously considered. What I experienced that weekend was enlightening and exciting and it opened my mind to a world yet to be discovered. 
                 In college I decided to explore this further by participating in study abroad during the summer of 2008 at University College London. This experience led to the formation of strong bonds with what I now refer to as my London family and allowed me to explore not only the culture of England, but also that of Scotland, Ireland, and France. This travel instilled in me an even greater self-confidence that grew from the seed first planted at HOBY. 
                 I later returned to America and, after finishing college, worked in the correctional system with Georgia’s inmates and former inmates. It was yet another opportunity to experience culture in a setting I had not ever imagined to be so diverse. Aside from my regular corrections job, I also traveled to other Georgia prisons volunteering my time to teach cultural diversity to inmates. Looking back, these experiences are still some of the most rewarding and eye-opening exercises in how we can be so different, yet so alike all at the same time. 
                 After working in Georgia’s prison system I decided to take a break and return to a place that I had felt so close to five years before. What I thought would be just a one-year visit to Ireland turned into a permanent stay in which I have had the opportunity to appreciate and immerse myself in cultures not my own, build life-long friendships, and marry the most amazing life-partner for which a person could ask. 
                 In August 2015, my husband and I were in France to celebrate the wedding of a girl I met during my first month of living in Ireland. As we walked through the picturesque little town of Kaysersberg I looked up and saw the Musee du Docteur Albert Schweitzer. In that moment, my HOBY experiences came full circle… the seed that was planted, the appreciation for people and diversity, the love and adventures that have occurred since. It has been an incredible and wonderful and humbling life journey and it’s not over yet. 
            So here’s to HOBY and all of the amazing life experiences, life stories, and little seeds planted year after year!



            HOBY Info:

            Amazon Smile
              • If your shop at Amazon, the switch to Amazon Smile (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-2861279). It is the exact same website, but 0.5% of purchases will be donated to a charity of your choice.
              • Choose HOBY Georgia (Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership) as your charity!
              Social Networking!!!
              • Find us on Facebook: GA HOBY Alumni
              • Follow us on Twitter: @GA_HOBY  
              • Follow us on Instagram: hoby_georgia
              • Follow us on Vine: Georgia HOBY
              • Follow us on SnapChat: hobygeorgia
              • Check our the website: www.gahoby.org
              • Check out our YouTube channel: HOBY Georgia
              • Check out http://hobycheers.wikidot.com/list-of-hoby-cheers for awesome cheers
              Hours
              • Keep logging them! Can you accomplish the 100 Hour Challenge? Georgia HOBY knows that you can. Here is the place to do so: https://reg.hoby.org/HOBYL4S/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fHOBYL4S%2f
              • Need ideas for Volunteering projects? Email gahobyalumniadvisor@gmail.com, check the HOBY website: hoby.org, and/or research into what your community needs!
              • How far has your Chain Reaction of Kindness reached?
              This Blog
              • If you would like post a "My Favorite HOBY Experience" in the future on this blog, then email gahobyfundraising@gmail.com also with your response!
              • Be on the lookout for the next Newsletter or My Favorite HOBY Experience Post
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              3.01.2016

              Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
              Fifty-Eighth Edition, March 1, 2016

              Featured Alumna: Amanda Dojack '12

              Hello my lovely HOBY family!

              This time of year is often very stressful for most. We’re consumed by school or work and in desperate need of a break or vacation that probably won’t come any time soon. It can get pretty depressing.

              However, it’s times like these that I’m so thankful I have a support system of HOBY alumni surrounding me and making me feel like I’m not alone in my suffering. We all struggle to make it look like we’re okay, and many times it comes at the expense of our sanity, trying to make it seem as if “everything is fine” when really we’re in a lot of physical, mental or emotional pain.

              This is your reminder that you are not alone.

              HOBY has not only provided us with lifelong leadership skills, but also a legacy of people who understand the struggle and have walked in your shoes. I encourage you to not only reach out to your fellow alumni if you’re in need of someone like minded and strong to talk to, but to also be open to whomever else you come in contact with that might need the same sort of support. HOBY is a source of absolutely superb human beings, but we should always be willing to share our HOBY love and help make other people feel O-U-T-S-T-A-N-D-I-N-G!



              HOBY Info:

              Amazon Smile
                • If your shop at Amazon, the switch to Amazon Smile (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-2861279). It is the exact same website, but 0.5% of purchases will be donated to a charity of your choice.
                • Choose Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (Atlanta, GA) as your charity!
                Social Networking!!!
                • Find us on Facebook: GA HOBY Alumni
                • Follow us on Twitter: @GA_HOBY  
                • Follow us on Instagram: hoby_georgia
                • Follow us on Vine: Georgia HOBY
                • Follow us on SnapChat: hobygeorgia
                • Check our the website: www.gahoby.org
                • Check out our YouTube channel: HOBY Georgia
                • Check out http://hobycheers.wikidot.com/list-of-hoby-cheers for awesome cheers
                Hours
                • Keep logging them! Can you accomplish the 100 Hour Challenge? Georgia HOBY knows that you can. Here is the place to do so: https://reg.hoby.org/HOBYL4S/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fHOBYL4S%2f
                • Need ideas for Volunteering projects? Email gahobyalumniadvisor@gmail.com, check the HOBY website: hoby.org, and/or research into what your community needs!
                • How far has your Chain Reaction of Kindness reached?
                This Blog
                • If you would like post a "My Favorite HOBY Experience" in the future on this blog, then email gahobyfundraising@gmail.com also with your response!
                • Be on the lookout for the next Newsletter or My Favorite HOBY Experience Post
                Posted by at No comments:
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