4.20.2017

Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
Eighty-Sixth Edition, April 20, 2017

Featured Alumna: Amelia Holley '14
I’m a HOBY 2014 Alumna, I went to HOBY not even knowing what it was about, but went in with an open mind. I am a singer-songwriter, so I brought my guitar along, not really thinking anything of it, but at the talent show, I played a song I had written. I didn’t know what to expect, but everyone was so supportive of it and seemed to genuinely like it. I knew then that I’d found my “family”. Since then, HOBY has provided a sense of belonging in my community, and at school events when I don’t know anyone, there’s always someone who I can find who went to HOBY! Even when I had my stroke in January 2016, and didn’t think that I could serve well, HOBY helped me realize that anyone can serve. I loved going to HOBY last summer to speak to the ambassadors about Project Linus. Some of my best memories are from when I’ve been at HOBY and it’s provided me with lifelong friends!

HOBY Info:
Georgia HOBY Store
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: HOBY Georgia
  • 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
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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2.10.2017

An Interview with Nashville singer-songwriter, WILDWOOD about her new song “Moonrise”
(aka Anne Buckle, HOBY Georgia '04)

Tell us about your new single “Moonrise.”
“Moonrise” is the first single from my new project WILDWOOD, which is a collection of darker indie Americana songs that will be released via South x Sea Records throughout 2017. I came up with the idea for “Moonrise” when I was in my apartment in Nashville at my piano one night staring out the window. The moon was huge and orange, rising up in the night sky, and it looked so spooky and ominous. I thought, when the moon rises, it sets the scene for darkness and uncertainty in the night. I held onto the idea for a while and brought it with me to a co-write with Brett Boyett in LA, where we wrote the song together months later, turning it into a ballad about the uncertainties of love.

LISTEN TO “MOONRISE” ON SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/album/1kt3stnMLRtamPSkZDCPip


 Where does the name WILDWOOD come from?
AP Carter of the Carter Family was my great uncle, and June Carter Cash was my grandma’s first cousin. They were best friends, so I was lucky enough to know her and Johnny Cash when I was a kid. Being a Carter is how I got into music - my two uncles had a recording studio in Bristol, VA when I was little, and I first got to sing into an old ribbon microphone there when I was 7. My uncle also gave me my first violin when I was 6, and that’s when I began playing music. The name WILDWOOD comes from a Carter Family song recorded in 1928, “The Wildwood Flower.” The lyrics tell a sad story: there’s a flower in the wildwood that is loved and promised to be loved, and then one day, her love leaves and she’s left downhearted and neglected. My family in Appalachia has always dealt with many trials, and there’s this tangible soberness that exists there - at least for us there always was. It’s what gave the music such depth. WILDWOOD as a name pays homage to my Carter Family roots, as well as hints at this darker side of life that my own lyrics tell of.

Where in Georgia are you from originally, and how long have you been doing music in Nashville?
I grew up in Peachtree City, GA, the daughter of two school teachers. Unlike a lot of people who move to Nashville as a teenager to chase their music dreams, I went to college and grad school first, and I lived and worked abroad in France twice along the way. It wasn’t until after graduating with a Master’s degree that I made my own pilgrimage to Music City to chase my dreams.

 You have an interesting background, from getting a Master’s degree at Harvard to interning at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France when you were in college. Why music?
I’ve always been passionate for music and international relations, so I went to school for both. It wasn’t until the end of college - from a breakup actually - that led me to write my own original songs, and at that point I followed my heart and chose music over the Foreign Service. When I moved to Nashville, I actually worked in government for a few years in the Haslam administration, exploring that public service passion. I helped develop the Tennessee Promise program, which made community and technical colleges free for students in Tennessee. However, after some time, I realized my heart was in music and I needed to leave to chase my dreams. I’m currently self-employed as a touring artist and fiddle player, songwriter, and session player.

 What does a typical day look like for you as a singer-songwriter and musician in Nashville?
In a typical day, I’m writing and recording my own songs, or playing violin, viola, or singing vocals for other people as a session player. I teach music lessons a few days a week to help pay the bills, and I’m also a teaching artist at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. I play fiddle for other bands and sing for corporate gigs a few times a month as well. Making a living as a working singer-songwriter currently means I have a lot of different things going on all the time, so every day is a little different!

You recently started a non-profit to help refugee youth in Nashville. Tell us a little about that work.
3 Chords is a non-profit I founded in 2016 to help refugee youth learn to write songs to express themselves. I’ve done a lot of traveling in my life and have gained a huge passion for people of other cultures, and I love being able to help new Americans, particularly ones who are here because they were forced out of their homes in other countries. I spend an hour each week with 10 high school refugees, teaching them guitar and songwriting, and I bring in guest artists and songwriters to work with them. This is year one, but my goal is to have the students record their songs at a studio and then create a compilation record of those songs. I also hope to do a showcase with them all performing at a Nashville venue in May. (Learn more at 3chords.org)

 Who are some of your greatest musical influences?
I am totally enchanted by everything Joy Williams does. She's a huge influence on me vocally and musically. I also really love the sweetness of Alison Krauss and the darkness of Lana Del Rey. I like to blend sweet and dark, and that’s what I’m going for with WILDWOOD.

 What’s been your greatest musical accomplishment?
Touring with the band Augustana last summer was a dream. I never would have imagined I’d be opening for the Dixie Chicks to 20,000 people at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but I did! I also got to share the stage with Charlie Daniels last year in a fiddle duel playing “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” That memory will certainly last a lifetime!

What advice would you give anyone wanting to chase their dream?
You are the author of your life - write your own story and don’t let anyone else write it for you or tell you how it should go. In the music industry in particular, people share opinions with me about me and my music all the time - I get told “no” constantly. But ever “no” is one step closer to a “yes.” Chasing a dream is hard because you are going to face a lot of rejection and opposition along the way. But it’s totally worth it. Find out what your passion is by following your curiosities, and then go for it with everything you have. Don’t hold back, and don’t let either fear or perfection be your enemy. Just keep moving forward, learning and growing every day.

How has HOBY helped you get where you are today?
HOBY changed me at age 16, empowering me to want to be the best possible version of myself. It helped me become bolder. It introduced me to people different than myself. It taught me that I have the power to be a light in the world that helps make it a little brighter place. HOBY engrained in me the idea that one kid can make a difference.

 Website: sheiswildwood.com
Instagram: instagram.com/sheiswildwood
Facebook: facebook.com/sheiswildwood
Twitter: twitter.com/sheiswildwood page3image2040 page3image2200
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12.15.2016

Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
Eighty-Fifth Edition, December 15, 2016

Featured Alumna: Braxton Simpson NW '15

I am a proud 2015 HOBY Alumni from Kennesaw Georgia, representing Marietta High School.  HOBY changed my life. After leaving HOBY, my innate leadership skills were sharpened and her commitment to lead through service was heightened! Since HOBY, I have joined several civic organizations, re-organized my business, and co-founded a service oriented organization rooted in my drive to lead through service.        
My love for my school community can be witnessed through my current position as Marietta High School’s Student Body Co-President. I has served Marietta’s school community through Student Council for four years, and one of my most coveted roles in this position includes organizing an Annual Pennies for Patients Student vs. Teacher Basketball Game fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This fundraiser brings in roughly $3,000 per year!  Three years ago, I developed an Annual Required Student Council Leadership Training. The goal of the training is to teach new and returning officers Parliamentary Procedure and Robert’s Rule of Order. I engage members of the community including Kennesaw State University’s Student Government and Marietta City Schools Board members to come in and teach meeting best practice.  
After leaving HOBY, I became more focused and intentional about her business Girl's Got Game (GGG), a female athletic apparel company. Before HOBY, I was more focused on how I could make the most money and had lost sight of why I started the business in the first place.  HOBY’s emphasis on service led me to reorganize GGG’s business structure, and focus on its founding principles--which is to make and sell apparel geared towards empowering girls to feel feminine while playing male-dominant sports.  I have begun to shift away from coed apparel and focused on more feminine apparel. 
Most recently, I and eight other female students founded a senior-freshmen mentoring organization called Black Girls United (BGU)! BGU was founded for the purpose of empowering 9th grade black girls, by giving them the opportunity to embrace their culture, gender, and uniqueness while learning how to navigate through the highs and lows of high school.  BGU pairs these girls up with positive senior mentors who are committed to helping them grow academically, socially, and emotionally.  Currently, Black Girls United has 28 members and 17 volunteers, and it’s growing every day!

HOBY Info:
Georgia HOBY Store
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: HOBY Georgia
  • 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
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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12.08.2016

Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
Eighty-Fourth Edition, December 8, 2016

Featured Alumnus: Jonathan Helfgott NW '16

 My WLC experience was life changing. I met so many amazing people who changed my life. Before HOBY I was shy and did not do much outside of school. Since HOBY I do a lot more outside of school. I remember being very nervous because it was the first time I ever flew alone and I missed my first flight by only a couple of minutes. When I landed in Chicago I saw many HOBY shirts and then knew that everything was going to be okay.  After I got to Loyola University, I met all my group members and found out that one of them used to live in the same neighborhood as my grandmother.  He also goes to the same school as my cousin. After only just a couple of hours I felt like I had known them for a long time. I decided that I was going to play my violin in the talent show. I normally get nervous when I have to play in front of a huge crowd and worry if I mess up. I did mess up on the end and everyone was still supportive of me. That’s thing about HOBY if you mess up they still support you.  In just a week we cleaned up Humboldt Park and learned about some of the places the ambassadors come from. We also went sightseeing and listened to many great speakers. I did not think that my experience was going to be as good as it was. In just a couple of days my life was changed by 400 amazing people who I can always count on. 

HOBY Info:
Georgia HOBY Store
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: HOBY Georgia
  • 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
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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11.30.2016

Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
Eighty-Third Edition, November 30, 2016

Featured Alumna: Mackenzie McCloud '12
     My name is MacKenzie McCloud and I am a junior currently attending Hampton University where I am studying nursing. I attended Hugh O’Brian Youth Program the summer of 2012 and retuned the summer of 2013 as a junior staff member. Being selected to represent my high school at HOBY became one of the major defining moments in the development of the young woman I am today. The leadership skills, networking, and friendships that I developed and experienced during my summers with HOBY has given me the confidence to challenge myself and not steer away from leadership roles. Since my attendance I have received multiple awards from Health Occupational Students of America in Epidemiology, became a member of the Freddye T. Davy Honors College, and selected to be a part of Hampton University’s Student Recruitment Team. These are a few highlights since my summers with HOBY. I encourage every student who is presented with the opportunity to attend the summer program to go. It will take you out of your comfort zone and it will cause to think. But that’s what leaders do. We push ourselves, we make opportunities for ourselves, and we give back. Hugh O’Brian Youth Program will give you the tools needed to become leader on whatever path you choose to take in life.


HOBY Info:
Georgia HOBY Store
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: HOBY Georgia
  • 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
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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11.15.2016

Georgia HOBY Newsletter:
Eighty-Second Edition, November 15, 2016

Featured Alumnus: Dan Kamykowski '01 
     I wasn’t even supposed to go to HOBY. I was the alternate. Luckily, though, my drama teacher saw the potential in me that I didn’t even knew I had. She got the Junior League in my hometown to sponsor me to go. Our seminar was at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. I remember walking into the big room where we were at, and just hearing noise. It was all the cheering that is the heart of the HOBY program. I remember I just stood there not saying a thing or moving a muscle. I think it was about an hour into the seminar that I decided to try it out. There is a cheer that many have forgotten about called “Let me see your Boogaloo.” It requires a lot of moving and linking arms, and for whatever reason, that was the moment my HOBY spirit came alive. If you know that song “This Little Light of Mine,” then you will understand that prior to that moment, I had never light my light shine through. 
     From that one seemingly insignificant moment, I turned my lantern on full blast. The rest of the weekend was nothing but this energy pouring out of me. When I went home, I didn’t know how to shut off the light. From that weekend, I was definitely put on the path to my own greatness. I got involved with HOBY the following year by volunteering for the CLeW in my hometown. That was how I was identified for my potential as a seminar volunteer, and the next fifteen or so years is history. I love being a volunteer for HOBY. It makes the month of June my favorite. Being able to see and meet the next generation of leaders is why I keep coming back each year. Through HOBY, I discovered my love for working with all young people no matter the circumstance. This has been the greatest gift of HOBY for me. I learned what my passion is and gave me the courage to go out there a make a difference.. 
     So when I moved to Savannah in 2007, I became a volunteer for the Big Brothers & Big Sisters program and Camp Aloha, a camp for young people who have lost a loved one. Even today, a dear friend of mine told me he wished he could borrow some of my energy, but you can’t really share a HOBY spirit that way. Most people know me in HOBY for my work with CLeW Savannah. Five years ago, I met another HOBY alumna in Savannah. She happened to be the daughter of a colleague of mine, and together we formed the team that would become CLeW Savannah. I am proud of the program we have built here, and love seeing where these young potential leaders go with their lives, even if it doesn’t include the HOBY Leadership Seminar their sophomore year.


HOBY Info:
Georgia HOBY Store
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: HOBY Georgia
  • 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
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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