If you've never heard of HOBY, I'd like to apologize about the fact that the knowledge about this wonderful Non-Profit has not yet come into your life. The Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Organization or HOBY, as it is lovingly called, is an organization that works to "inspire and develop our global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation." What does this entail, you ask?

HOBY has an impact on tens of thousands of young adults every year through their annual locally held leadership seminars and their annual World Leadership Congress (WLC) which brings together ambassadors from around the world so as to foster international relations, learn from and about different cultures, and light the spark of leadership within the world's future active citizens. These leadership seminars "are conducted annually throughout the United States, serving local and international high school students. HOBY programs provide students selected by their schools to participate in unique leadership training, service-learning and motivation-building experiences." Sounds a bit boring and stuffy, right?

WRONG! HOBY is anything but stuffy and boring. Considering the organization is non for profit, most employees of the organization are volunteers. These volunteers dedicate their time to impacting the lives of rising adults because they have incredible passion and dedication to improving the world in which we live. They stress the importance of service and show their commitment to their service basis throughout the seminars and beyond. Because these volunteers have so much passion for what they do, HOBY is infused with charismatic and energetic individuals who help put on the types of seminars those in the professional world would envy. Every seminar includes a central theme, individual group theme, engaging speakers, and the all important Cheers.

Cheers? What do you mean Cheers? Cheers are semi-ridiculous, high-energy chants that leaders employ between activities during the seminar for a number of reasons. First, it keeps the ambassadors' energy level high throughout the slightly (read incredibly) exhausting schedule of the seminar. Second, it creates a community of equal footing. In order to embrace the HOBY experience, each ambassador has to let go of their pride and the importance of outward appearance so as to gain as much as possible from the seminar. Cheers are one of the best ways to let students experience this phenomenon. No one is watching them look ridiculous because everyone else is too busy indulging in the same ridiculousness. It teaches the lesson that being fully and truly yourself leads to freedom and the ability to make choices of your own volition rather than worrying about what the rest of the crowd thinks. Third, they are super fun. End of story.

To try and sum up an organization that could never be contained in any grouping of words, HOBY works not to teach the future leaders of the world what to think, rather HOBY works to teach the ambassadors how to think. My experience with HOBY was one of the most formative time periods of my life. After attending the 2012 Illinois-North Seminar and the 2012 World Leadership Congress I began to approach the world differently.

These seminars came at a time where I had begun to doubt my dreams and goals. I questioned whether or not I had what it took to mold my life into the future I wanted. I questioned whether I would ever be able to impact the world around me. I was 16, so I assumed I would be inconsequential forever. HOBY revealed the truth.

I am only inconsequential if I lack passion. With passion and work ethic there is nothing we, whether as a global community or individuals, cannot achieve.

I had the good fortune to return to the organization as a volunteer for the Illinois-North Seminar in 2013 and 2014. Being a part of these seminars as a behind the scenes contributor helped me gain insight that I didn't realize I needed, but I would not be the person I am without it. I've met people who changed my outlook on problems directly in front of me. I've heard presentations from speakers who introduced ideas I would never have encountered elsewhere. Hearing presentations from speakers such as Ted Gonder (http://www.tedgonder.com) and Jamie Utt (http://jamieutt.com) has undoubtably changed my life for the better. I've been inspired over and over again, and I can never be anything but eternally grateful for my involvement with this organization.

Unfortunately, I was unable to return as a volunteer for the 2015 seminar and will not be able to return for the seminar in the summer of 2016. However, my mind and heart will always be with the ambassadors who start their HOBY journey each summer. HOBY is a part of your life that you carry with you far beyond your direct involvement in the seminars.

I may not be volunteering at my local seminar, but I'm going after my dreams with the confidence that HOBY instilled in me. I'm forging my own path through the personal connections that I make with those around me. I'm pursuing my goals, not my dreams. Why? Because HOBY showed me that my dreams aren't fantasy. They are a possible reality if I want it enough. If I work to achieve what I want then my dreams become goals instead of simply being inner desires.

The Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Organization is changing the world one ambassador a time, and I am proud to say that I was able to be a part of such a worthwhile institution.

If you are interested in learning more about HOBY, head to hoby.org for a wealth of information about this wonderful organization.

If you or anyone you know is a sophomore (will be a rising junior come summer) with leadership potential and is interested in attending a HOBY seminar, reach out to any HOBY alum, your school counselor, or go to hoby.org to look for information about the seminar nearest to you. You will not regret looking into it