Out of the many roles I have taken on in life thus far, I have had the most satisfaction from being a HOBY alumni and annual volunteer since 2007. My 2010 year with HOBY, specifically, was my first year as a Junior Facilitator and my year to see the difference each facilitator can truly make in each ambassador’s life. This was also the year that I was vying for the title of Miss Tri-Cities, a preliminary to Miss Washington and Miss America…not to be confused with Miss USA! The more rehearsals I attended and the more I studied my platform of community service for the pageant, the more I realized how alike the Miss America Program and HOBY are. Both organizations are empowering today’s leaders for tomorrow and inspiring the heart of community service that everyone has inside them. A new part of our curriculum this year at HOBY was going through the process of planning, executing, and attaining a goal. This challenged the ambassadors to think outside of the box and showed them the kind of world-changing things they ARE capable of. When the staff was asked of their goals, I stood and said “I want to be crowned Miss Tri-Cities on July 17th, 2010 in order to go on to Miss Washington and then Miss America.” To be apart of the Miss America program means scholarship, a year of community service, a commitment to a healthy lifestyle, and the responsibility of being a role model. The ambassadors and the staff were all so supportive of my goal and it means the world to me, and always will.
Each year I go back to HOBY, my goal is to give the ambassadors the same life-changing experience that I had. It is also wonderful to reconnect with all of the staff too! We are one big family and an even larger support system for every individual’s dreams. As a 2007 ambassador, I was shown what I am capable of. I attribute so much of my success as a student, as a daughter, as a friend, and as a role model to HOBY because of my four days with this ‘family’. Each ambassador (we hope) experiences this same love and sees their future in an even brighter light by the end of the weekend.
So I bet you’re wondering how the pageant went this year? Well, I planned my goal, I was disciplined in the actions it took to execute it, and I attained it. I am your current Miss Tri-Cities! I will be competing for Miss WA on July 2nd, 2011 and I will be including HOBY under the umbrella of my platform of community service. I believe in this program so much and will be apart of it for countless years to come. Whoever you are reading this, I encourage you to send your son or daughter when they’re a sophomore, to donate to HOBY, and to never stop setting goals for yourself. The feeling of accomplishing something you have dreamed of is priceless satisfaction, every time!
Adrienne Bousquet
HOBY 2007 Alumni
