WLC

Each July, HOBY holds a World Leadership Congress, or WLC, bringing together over 425 exceptional sophomores from across the US and around the globe, who have already been through a local HOBY program for a week-long experience unlike any other.

WLC 2021 will take place July 25 to July 31, and will be a hybrid event. Enrollment information coming soon. General information about this year’s WLC can be found HERE.

HOBY California is proud to have had a large contingent of student ambassadors representing the state at WLC in recent years, as well as a number of volunteer staff members who gave their time at recent WLCs.

Stephen Schaap, 2012 Southern California and WLC Ambassador

The friends that I’ve made through HOBY will be life-long friends. We all have the same connection to community, school, friends and family. We want to make something of our lives that impacts others. The values that we share are the same ones HOBY teaches us to tap in to and optimize. For me one of the most useful things I learned is that I can have fun and be creative and still be in service to others. All the speakers that we listened to opened my mind to greater possibilities within me. I left with a sense of purpose. I haven’t exactly honed in on that purpose but I know I want to succeed in whatever I finally decide to do and with HOBY I feel that I have more of the tools that I’ll need including great friends in and out of the United States. I’ve already talked to some of my friends about creating a new organization focusing on childrens’ needs. I came back as someone needing to do something not just sitting by and letting others do it for me.

Fatima Cacho, 2012 California-Central and WLC Ambassador

WLC was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and once is enough because it has already changed my life. I cheered, I laughed, and I cried when it was all over, but most importantly I was inspired. I was inspired to change the world, regardless of what any one says, it is possible. I am assisting my best friend and fellow HOBY Alumna, Mikki Spangler, start up Key Club at our school. That’s the thing about HOBY, you make unexpected best friends. Mikki and I knew each other from school and said hi on occasion, but now, because of HOBY we are closer than ever and plan on changing the world together. It’s funny how one week can change you. I’m living proof of that.

Emily Wu, 2012 Los Angeles and WLC Ambassador

To me, World Leadership Congress is an experience that cannot be fully described in only words. In a nutshell, it opened up a whole new perspective for me and I realized just how big of a difference the youth can make on the world. The international aspect of it especially brought it full circle as 426 of us from all over the world united for a week to become leaders. I was utterly shocked when I was exposed to so many bright and motivated teens who shared the same vision as me. It made me feel truly hopeful that my generation was going to improve the globe in so many ways. I was definitely inspired to bring what I learned to my school. I’m starting this Adopt-A-Kid Holiday Gift reach out program within my CSF (California Scholarship Federation) program to bring less fortunate children the gifts and joys of the winter holidays. A lot of my fellow peers were taken back by my passion, but I realized that because of my HOBY vision, they also decided to join in, which is absolutely outstanding.

More information about HOBY’s World Leadership Congress can be found at www.hoby.org/wlc.php or by emailing wlc@hobyca.org