Congratulations to GJSD sophomore Ayla Naselli on her acceptance into the HOBY New York East Leadership Conference, which will take place this weekend — Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2 — at the University at Albany.
The prestigious Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) program was founded in 1958, with the mission to inspire and develop the global community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation.
“What I’m looking forward to most, is the opportunity to meet new people, network, and learn new leadership skills that I can bring back to my school community,” Ayla said.
At Johnstown, Ayla is the treasurer of both Drama Club and Key Club, and serves as the secretary of International Club. This past year, she was also a member of the soccer, Nordic ski, and track & field teams at Johnstown.
Ayla said she became aware of the HOBY mission and the opportunity to participate, after her older brother Trey (JHS ‘23) was selected for the conference during his sophomore year in 2021. Unfortunately, since that was during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Trey’s HOBY conference was presented virtually. Ayla, however, will get to participate in-person this year.
In the weeks leading up to the conference, Ayla collected health and wellness items like deodorant, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, and soap from the Johnstown school community. Items collected and donated by HOBY participants will be packed into bags this weekend and distributed as part of a HOBY project to help community members in need.
In late July, Ayla will be able to take her HOBY experience one step further, as she will attend a week-long World Leadership Conference on the campus of Loyola University in Chicago, IL. The conference will be attended by select students from all over the United States, as well as other countries.