On Friday, May 30th - 53 slightly nervous and uncertain High School sophomores from across the state of Maine from Fort Kent to Elliot arrived at the Olsen Student Center on the University of Maine Farmington's campus.

For three days these outstanding young leaders worked together with a team of dedicated volunteers to explore leadership and service and learned that they have true potential to make a positive impact on their communities.  Each student actively engaged in learning activities to understand how their values shape who they are as a leader and how understanding their leadership style as well as the styles of others can make them better team members.  Team challenges put their learning to the test!  

Our ambassadors had the opportunity to listen to and interact with several amazing guest speakers throughout the weekend including Attorney General Janet Mills, Rep. Justin Chenette, Jamie Marcus - Director of Admissions UMF, Laura Moorehead - Institute for Civic Leadership, Jeffrey Jordan - MidCoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, Will Nelligan - Analyst at Archer Gray, LLC., Nate Kane - MYAN and Staci Olsen - Girls on the Run.

Brooke DePuy, one of our 2014 alumni shared this about her experience:
"It is a simply life changing experience. All of the ambassadors are there for the same reason that you are, which is a great feeling. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity that no one should pass up! You learn so much about yourself, how to be a leader, and how you can create a ripple effect that could change the world. Everything that goes on at HOBY is so inspiring and it encourages you to really be the best that you can. In the midst of all that, the HOBY experience is also a blast! And you meet so many great people."


Thank you to all our sponsors and dedicated volunteers who made this weekend possible!

We are SO excited to welcome Skylar Thorne Kelly to the HOBY Maine 2014 team!  Skylar brings extraordinary talent in telling stories and will be helping us tell our HOBY Maine story through his photos and video.  Working behind the scenes he will capture the outstanding transformations that happen throughout our seminar weekend.  

Skylar is a jack of all trades. Most of his days and weeks vary between photography and video production, but sometimes he dabbles in carpentry, landscaping and heavy equipment operation. He reads lots of science fiction, history and picture books. 

Skylar is looking forward to HOBY because, in his own words: "HOBY represents an opportunity to connect with a younger generation and reflect on their experience of 21st century America. I want to know what challenges young people face today and how they are adapting to excel in their environment."

His favorite leadership quote is from Thomas Jefferson: "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock."

Please join me in welcoming Skylar to the HOBY Maine team!

Chris Hebert attended HOBY Maine in 2007 as an ambassador from Wells High School. He returned as a Junior Facilitator in 2008 and graduated from Salve Regina in 2013 with a degree in Global Business and Economics. He is currently working as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI.  

When asked why he wanted to return to HOBY, Chris said: "I had an amazing experience when I went to HOBY as an Ambassador and I really want to help others have a great experience."

His favorite quote is: "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

Welcome back Chris!  Excited to have you on Senior Staff!

This is overdue as Celina joined Staff months ago!  Celina attended the HOBY Maine Seminar in 2013 as an ambassador from Noble High School.  She is now finishing her Junior Year at York High School.  She is an active member of the band.  She volunteers at the Hackmatack Playhouse in North Berwick in the summer and enjoys traveling and visiting family.  

When asked why she wanted to return to HOBY Maine, Celina said, "After my experience as an ambassador, HOBY had inspired me more than anything or anyone in the past. It made me grow as a person, leader, and pushed me to make change. I want other young people like me to experience the same thing, and I want them to have just as much fun as I did too!"


Her favorite leadership quote is: "Never dull your shine for somebody else."


Please join us in a long overdue welcome to the team!  

Outside of HOBY, Spencer is an incoming senior at Greenville High School. For the past three years, he has been an active member in his school's Student Council and Key Club, as well as the track team. When he is not in school he has a job as a dishwasher and groundskeeper at the Blair Hill Inn, and if he is not in school or working he loves to get out and take advantage of the natural resources that surround the Moosehead Lake region. He really enjoys skiing, fishing, rafting and hiking.

Last year Spencer was chosen to represent Greenville as an ambassador at the HOBY Maine 2013 session. After attending HOBY Maine, he was greatly moved by what he had experienced, and he decided to travel to Chicago to attend the World Leadership Conference  to gain more knowledge as to how he could become an even better leader. He volunteering this year at the HOBY Maine 2014 session because he wants to share the knowledge he gained as well as his many adventures with the incoming ambassadors.

Spencer's favorite leadership quote is:  "A leader does not deserve the name unless he is willing occasionally to stand alone."-Henry Kissinger 

Please help us welcome Spencer to the team!

We would like to thank Unitil Corporation for their support of the 2014 HOBY Maine Seminar as a Gold Meal Sponsor with their donation of $75.  

Unitil is committed to the communities they serve and to developing people, business practices, and technologies that lead to dependable, more efficient energy. Unitil Corporation is a public utility holding company with operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. For more information about Unitil, please visit www.unitil.com.

If you have been paying attention we have a pretty rockstar staff this year and the lady responsible for pulling all these outstanding folks together is our very own Faith Henry!  

Faith joined us in 2012 as a Senior Facilitator.  In 2013 she stepped up as the Director of Staff AND has served on our Curriculum team earlier this year helping design the flow of the program this year. Faith will also be supporting our Operations team this year backing up Ellen on Health and Safety and ensuring our facilitation team is cared for!  When she isn't volunteering with HOBY, Faith works at IDEXX as an Education Technology and Marketing Manager.

Faith says she volunteers with HOBY because: "HOBY changes people. Student ambassadors show up on Friday one person, and leave a more confident, empowered and authentic version of themselves by Sunday. But the change doesn’t stop there – it ripples through all of those that touch HOBY. We’re all made better by what we learn, by the impact we have, and we are inspired to make a difference in the world."


Her favorite leadership quote is: "The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." –Mark Twain


We are very lucky to have Faith on our team!

Erin Perry attended HOBY Maine in 2012 as a representative from Greely High School and she volunteered as a Junior Facilitator in 2013.  After Erin graduates she plans to go to school to become a teacher. 


When asked why she volunteers with HOBY Maine, Erin said: "I volunteer with HOBY because I love the feeling I get after HOBY. I love feeling like I've helped others and because of that it helps me more than anything."


Erin's favorite leadership quote is: “Those who let things happen usually lose to those who make things happen.” - Dave Weinbaum


Erin is definitely someone who makes things happen!  Welcome to the team Erin!!

At our 2013 seminar a new catch phrase was born amongst the staff - "Go see Ellen!"  Ellen Stone Benson has volunteered with HOBY Maine for 5 years starting as a Senior Facilitator and moving into the Health and Safety Director role last year.  In this role Ellen ensures we are following all our risk management policies and is the keeper of all our medical supplies.  As a seasoned member of the staff she is also a critical member of our Operations team usually doing whatever needs to be done before we even know it needs doing!

Ellen lives in Scarborough, ME with her husband Scott and two kiddos, Sam and Caroline.  She is a Speech Language Pathologist and co-owner of Speech Therapy Associates of Maine.  

It is rumored that Ellen and Sydney went to High School together "a few years ago" and that Syd might have strong-armed Ellen into volunteering but Ellen stays because she really loves the program and the impact it has on ambassadors and volunteers.

Ellen's favorite quote is: "Everybody is a genius.  But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid."


Welcome back Ellen!