Past Featured Alumni
HOBY Alumni Remembered
We are sad to learn that two of the students who died in the shootings at Virginia Tech on Monday, April 16, 2007 were HOBY Alumni.
Jarrett Lane, an alumnus of the 2001 Virginia Leadership Seminar, was a senior at Virginia Tech majoring in civil engineering. He was from Narrows, VA, and graduated from Narrows High School in 2003. The NY Times reported, “He was an exceptional young man,” said school principal Robert Stump. “Very quiet and humble, and very popular... He was always one of the hardest workers,” Mr. Stump said. “One time, after he’d had a good basketball game, he went up to the coach and said, ‘Coach, what do I have to work on so that we can be better’.”
Caitlin Hammaren, an alumna of the 2003 New York East HOBY Leadership Seminar, was a sophomore at Virginia Tech majoring in International Studies and French. She was from Westtown, NY, and graduated from Minisink Valley High School in 2005. As reported in a NY Times article, “She was just one of the most outstanding young individuals that I’ve had the privilege of working with in my 31 years as an educator,” said John P. Latini, the principal of Minisink Valley High School where Ms. Hammaren graduated in 2005. “Caitlin was a leader among our students,” remembered Mr. Latini.
Please keep all those affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers. HOBY offers our support to the entire Virginia Tech community.
Kimberly M. Phares Founds VH Habitat Service Club
Kimberly left her HOBY Leadership Weekend in Troy Alabama in June of 2005, taking on the Leadership for Service Challenge. Kimberly was inspired to start a Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter at her high school, not realizing the work and reward involved! Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. HFHI seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Read on to see how Kimberly and her chapter overcame the obstacles of starting a new chapter and building a house in the same year!
In Her Own Words
At Vestavia Hills High School, a HOBY nomination is a competitive and sought after process. I was thrilled and honored when I received word that I would represent my school last May in Troy, Alabama, but little did I know that the experience would truly be life-changing. As I tearfully left my new friends that Sunday, I made a decision to take the "Leadership for Service" challenge. As I was searching our local Habitat for Humanity website for the next build dates, I came across information on Campus Chapters in our area. Why couldn&rsquot;t I start a campus chapter at our school? We have service clubs, but none that come close to having such an impact as providing adequate housing for families.
As I spoke with local Habitat affiliates about starting a chapter to fund and build a home, I was told that we would need to raise funds one year and start the home the next year. They told me, "No one to our knowledge has ever built a home in their charter year." There is always a first and we would be it!!! If I had realized the hard work and time commitment involved with this, I probably would have shied away from this endeavor, but once I got started, it literally took on a life of its own and the ride has been phenomenal.
Our club has over 10 percent of our student body as members and I am pleased to say that we have plans to break ground the end of January on our home. Through bake sales, a fundraising dinner, cell phone collections, house-to-house solicitations, raffling off donated Bo Bice tickets, speaking engagements, newspaper articles, and selling Southern Living At Home products, we have our funds. However, this club has proved much more than being a vehicle for raising funds and providing a home. From our membership, new leaders are emerging every day and our club gives everyone an opportunity to take on leadership responsibilities.
The diversity of our membership has enabled many different groups to work together and many students needing a place to fit in. I have found their place to fit in through service. We recently received approval to be a qualifying agency for the President&rsquot;s Community Service Award. We have let the entire student body know of the requirements and have challenged each class to strive for 100 hours of service. Most of OUR members have pledged 100+ hours. The week we return back to school, our education chairman and her committee, through a slideshow presentation, will educate every ninth grader about the value and effects of service to individuals, communities, and our entire nation. Most importantly our club has set out to change the face of the teens in Vestavia. We are seen doing positive things and have become good, solid role models for our younger students. Working with our hands helps to empower us in building self esteem, self worth, and helps each of us realize that we are so fortunate—we have the world at our feet!