Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) Awards $25,000 in Scholarships
HOBY Utah Press Release
August 9, 2000

The most important thing in education is to teach young people to think for themselves. That's the key Dr. Albert Schweitzer gave to TV western star Hugh O'Brian forty two years ago.

Many may still remember when hard-riding Hugh played in the TV series Wyatt Earp. Because he wanted to do something more worthwhile with his life, and at the height of his career, Hugh spent nine days visiting Dr. Schweitzer in Africa where he soaked up everything he could from the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

When he returned, O'Brian started HOBY, an acronym for The Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership, which seeks out, recognizes and develops leadership among high school sophomores during annual three-day interactive workshops.

Many of these youth return from this leadership experience excited to form into chapters and to put on mini versions of the seminar with top students from their own local schools. O'Brian still believes that the greatest resource on earth is its youth. Since its beginning, nearly 300,000 youth have become alumni from over 15,000 schools in 37 countries and ninety geographical areas.

This year, twelve students from the Utah County area were selected by their high schools as outstanding sophomores. They took advantage of the training and loved it. And, became part of a statewide youth organization.

These 2000 HOBY Ambassadors include: Holly Boutelle, Mountain View High School; Emily Vest, Spanish Fork High School; Taniyah Eyer, Timpview High School; Emil Lavaki, Timpanogos High School; Jonathan Benefield, Pleasant Grove High School; Jani Green, Payson High School; Desirae Boudreaux, Provo High School; Tanya Moody, Lehi High School; Mary Johnston, Lone Peak High School; Julie Erdmann, Orem High School; Debrah Jackson, Springville High School; Amie Toone, American Fork High School

The annual leadership seminars (this year was at Aspen Grove) are three days of high powered action. Ambassadors fire questions at a bevy of very impressive civic, church, business, media, and education leaders from all over the state. They find out what makes these leaders tick and how they could become more like them.

They develop an attitude that they CAN attain what they make real plans for. They activate leadership skills and are then challenged to return to their schools, marshal their forces, to make exciting, impactful things happen -- in their own lives, their schools and in their communities. Why sophomores? They still have two years before they make the big decisions for college.

At the completion of each of the local seminars, two persons are chosen to represent their areas for the HOBY World Leadership Congress, this year in Washington, D.C. Nearly three hundred participants spend a week at no cost to themselves. They come from every state, the District of Columbia and thirty-seven other countries. Here the HOBY International Ambassadors share their cultures, opinions and sense of fun with their U.S. And worldwide counterparts, and, in turn, they learn first hand about the United States and its young people.

Dave Olpin, Corporate President of the HOBY Youth Leadership of Utah, is on the fund raising end of it. We must raise $175 for each person to support these young people during their three-day seminars. With more than a hundred Ambassadors and incidentals that translates into nearly $20,000 each year---no small task. But it's worth it because these young people are clearly the leaders of tomorrow.

The Kiwanis Clubs of Utah, the General Federation of Womens Clubs, Rotary, NuSkin International, businesses and individuals are currently the major sponsors of HOBY-Utah.

Additionally, this year we raised nearly $25,000 in scholarship funding, says Olpin. To earn these, following the seminars, Ambassadors are given their junior year to return to their schools and demonstrate their leadership capabilities. Then they report back by submitting what they have accomplished to a group of qualified judges. A number of state colleges and universities such as UVSC, Utah State University, Provo College, Weber State, Dixie and others make these scholarships available.

These scholarships were awarded Friday afternoon, August 4, in the Marriott Hotel, for those who were the 1999 Ambassadors. Awards went to: Elizabeth Fink, Taylorsville High School; Michelle Stoker, Clearfield High School; Ryan Austin Morley, Box Elder High School; Shannon Esmay, Granger High School; Maren Farnsworth, Duchesne High School; Amy Sullivan, Alta High School; Maryann Sampson, Murray High School; Brooke Wilde, South Summit; Brady Warren Nicholls, Bonneville High School; Erica Dawn Holt, North Sevier; Forrest Pangborn, Intermountain Christian; Amy Stevens, Carbon High School; Camie Evans, Viewmont High School; and Angela Fischer, Escalante High School.

World-wide more than 5,200 adult volunteers give one million hours a year to make these local seminars a reality. It is through their efforts that the HOBY programs are the successes they are today.

Founder, Hugh O'Brian says HOBY motivates young people to believe in self--this can make a difference and sets high standards in business, government and in the home. He tells sponsors, It's a great return on your investment.

Local sponsorship is strongly encouraged so that the next group of promising young people will be able to attend the seminar in May of 2001.

Businesses, organizations or individuals who, would like to lend support to these outstanding young people, may contact Dave Olpin.

HOBY contributions are tax deductible. It's an investment in the future of our state to develop its most capable young leaders. Friends of HOBY can get a firsthand view of the excitement on the internet at www.hobyutah.org. Dave Olpin may be contacted at: dlolpin@hotmail.com, or 801-377-4520